


Waltz of flowers

by Anonymous_Kraken



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Slow Burn, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23335387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Kraken/pseuds/Anonymous_Kraken
Summary: Even in a war torn world, there's still a system of soulmates in place. And while Angela Ziegler has seen how well it can work, she has her reservations. After all, how commonplace is a rose?Mercy centric, other relationships and characters to be added. SLOW BURN- Ashe probably wont show for a while. Probably.
Relationships: Ana Amari/Fareeha "Pharah" Amari's Father, Ana Amari/Reinhardt Wilhelm, Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Fareeha "Pharah" Amari/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Ingrid Lindholm/Torbjörn Lindholm, Moira O'Deorain/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 22
Kudos: 49





	1. Chamomile and Edelweiss

_Chamomile- Patience in advisory_

_Edelweiss- Courage, devotion._

The language of flowers was one spoken as commonly as English, in a world where your soulmate is predetermined by a certain flower. You are born with your flower, but as you come of age, your flower changes into the flower of your soulmate. Angela’s mother’s flower was chamomile, it had been replaced by an edelweiss, which was very appropriately Swiss, until she met Angela’s father.When the two got married, both flowers appeared on both of their right arms, tied together with a red ribbon. The red string of fate, or so Angela had been told. Maybe the soulmate system worked, it was hard to say. But Angela’s parents did love each other very much, and, at least to Angela's young mind, that meant it worked without fail. Angela remembers how happy they were, their small family. Both her parents were skilled doctors, who saw their fair share of horrors, but were always able to remain cheerful for their young daughter. For the first years of her life, Angela wasn't aware of her mother's tears when she failed to save a life, she didn't know about her father's stress and aching bones- They didn't let themselves show those sides to her, she didn't need the added stress while growing up during the omnic crisis.

And even though she grew up during the crisis and was a very smart child, Angela still remembers the good times far better than any of the panic. There was always dinner on the table, warm laughter, she remembers being chased by her father through a grassy field, she remembers her mother reading medical papers when Angela would stubbornly refuse to sleep. She remembers the joy she felt opening presents during the holidays, she remembers catching sweet moments between her parents, she remembers the smell of physical books that she would press her nose into while lying on the patch of rug in her parents office that got the most sun. She remembers the taste of her mother’s cooking and she remembers that her father was actually the better cook, but was often too tired and in too much physical pain. She remembers the smell of her mother’s perfume, the lilt of her father’s laugh, the way their arms felt around her. She remembers the safe feeling she had when they hugged her, like nothing could hurt her.

And, she remembers that day. That dreadful day. It was cloudy, a hazy morning when her father kissed her on the forehead and reminded her to go to the basement in case of air raids, and that he loved her very much, that he would see her later. Her mother had said...Something, Angela struggles to recall what her mother said that day. But the memory evades her, even years after she watched her parents leave that morning. They were volunteering at a local hospital in what was supposed to be the aftermath of the crisis. Angela went about her day as she usually did- She read, made herself some tea, studied her parents medical notes, ate lunch alone. At some point, there was actually an air raid, and Angela was quick to abscond to the basement, per her parent’s instruction. The raid didn’t hit her home, they never got close enough, the young girl always counted herself lucky for that. However, it seemed that her parent’s luck had run its course. While waiting for their return, Angela answered the door, revealing a police officer. He informed her that the air-raid a few hours ago had struck the hospital nearby. He informed her that while a few people survived, most who were in the building were killed. He informed her that her parents' bodies were recovered about an hour ago. Her mother had been killed by the initial explosion, and her father had been crushed by falling debris. The officer told her that there was enough evidence to support that her father would have survived, as he had been with a few people in a lower level, but he wanted to find her mother. And he did manage to find her, as his body was next to hers, he had shielded what remained of her from the falling debris at the cost of his own life.

Angela remembers being so overcome with grief that she fell to the ground in front of the officer, covering her face as the weight of the realization struck her. She was alone in the world. She had no aunts or uncles, no grandparents, no siblings, and now...No parents. She had no one to rely on, not anymore. She was ten. The funeral came rather quickly, and Angela remembers standing in front of her parent’s graves, a bouquet of chamomile and edelweiss in her shaking hands. The weight was overwhelming, the people who told her that the pain would eventually pass meant well, but they didn’t really help her. For weeks she lived in limbo, not sure where she was going- The police told her they were going to try and get in contact with someone to take care of her, but Angela didn’t know who that would even be. Until they came to the temporary home she had been put in. She was so jarred when she saw them that it was a wonder she ever forgot them in the first place. Torbjorn Lindholm and his wife Ingrid had come as soon as they were able. Torbjorn was an Overwatch operative, so he was very busy, Ingrid was busy as well, but because she had to take care of their children. Angela’s mother had done an emergency birth for the couple when they all got stuck on a train somewhere in Germany. They were so grateful that they asked if they could do anything in return- Angela’s mother told them that her daughter’s godparents had died unexpectedly, and even though it was a lot to ask- She requested that if anything happened to her and her husband, that the Lindholms would take care of Angela. Much to her surprise, they accepted on the spot. The Zieglers would sometimes go to Sweden to meet with them, they all exchanged holiday cards, and the Lindholms always remembered to send Angela something on her birthday. And now, in her time of need, they were there.

“Come on, lass.” Angela remembers Torbjorn taking her hand and leading her to the car. “Let’s get you home.”


	2. Bluebell, borage, azalea, crocus

_Bluebell- Consistency, humility . Borage- Bluntness, directness_

As it turns out, living with other kids is very different than being an only child. Being the eldest child in the house, Angela often took to helping entertain the two younger kids while Ingrid prepared meals. She didn’t mind it too much, caring for people was a good distraction from the pain she was feeling. Perhaps that’s why her parents became doctors, perhaps that’s why they always hid their pain from Angela, because caring for someone distracted them from it. Regardless of those reasons, helping Ingrid with anything was enough to make Angela stop moping for long enough to feel useful to the people who took her in, even when they had a growing number of mouths to feed.

Ingrid was a person, much like Angela’s parents, who really lived up to the flower she was born with. Bluebell, as she was consistent through and through. A consistently loving and caring person, even when she had four, soon to be five mouths to feed, even when her ever growing number of children ran screaming around the house, even when her husband was busy on life-threatening missions, even when she was pregnant and had aches all over, she was consistent. You could rely on Ingrid, no matter what. Angela admired her godmother’s seemingly never-ending patience, her graceful nature, her gentle demeanor. Ingrid made the best sweets, Angela’s favorite was the apple pie she made for the holidays, the sweet apple, the bite of cinnamon, the undertone of caramel- Those pies were like Ingrid herself, welcoming and consistent.

Borage was so unlike Ingrid that it was jarring to see it on her arm, wrapped in the red ribbon alongside bluebell. No, borage was for Torbjorn- Torbjorn was yet another person who suited their flower perfectly. He was uncompromising, stubborn, and blunt to a fault. He said all sorts of nasty things about omnics, which always resulted in Angela pouting at him, asking him to at least stop it when he was around her. And though he was indeed uncompromising and stubborn, he was soft when it came to people he cared about. He especially had a weakness for his children, and he did consider Angela his child. He dialed back his grumbling about omnics, though he did mutter a few choice words in Swedish whenever he came home covered in bandages. As far as father figures went, Angela’s birth father was certainly more gentle and soft spoken than Torbjorn- But Torbjorn was strong, he was fiercely protective and active. Torbjorn took no shit from anyone, he was fully himself, regardless if that was always a good thing or not.

That red ribbon on both Ingrid and Torbjorn’s arms, the symbol of their bond, their vow...The red string of fate. They were two more who proved this system worked. They truly loved each other and they made each other better people, made the world better by just being together. Angela often compared the relationships of her two sets of parents (though she never referred to Ingrid and Torbjorn as mom and dad) and how healthy and happy they were. She wanted that for herself, one day.

_Azalea- Take care of yourself for me, temperance_

On Angela’s right arm there had always been a brilliantly pink azalea flower. It bloomed brightly and was quite pretty, so Angela was pleased with it. She was even more pleased when her mother explained the meaning of the flower. “Perhaps you will follow in our footsteps, liebchen. Azalea means to ask one to take care of themself for the sake of the one giving the flower. Very fitting for a doctor, ja?” Angela nodded enthusiastically, already sure she was going to become a doctor, like her parents. And years after that conversation, she still was sure. She had applied to a prestigious boarding school in Germany- The institution was for children and teens with an appetite for science. Medical or not- And with how bright she was, Angela was accepted into the program with no fuss. The tuition was paid by the money her parents left her- And at thirteen, Angela left her home in Sweden, suddenly finding herself alone once more.

_Crocus- Cheerfulness_

But things were different this time, as she wasn’t really alone. She was surrounded by her peers! All brilliant young people with most of the same interests she had! It was exciting and nerve-wracking, and scary, and wonderful. She quickly rose to prominence in her classes, because even among all these smart children- Her mind was something else. The recognition did earn her the ire of a few classmates, but she did manage to make friends as well as rivals. She was particularly close to her roommate, a girl from Hungary named Erzsebet- Erzsebet was very smart, as were all the students in the program, but she was studying astrophysics, so she didn’t have many of the same classes as Angela. Still, they managed to spend an awful amount of time together. Erzsebet was outgoing, fun-loving, and kind of mischievous. And, well, she was very pretty. Her auburn hair was often in a braid trailing down her back, her hazel eyes were warm and alight with life and wonder. Angela desperately wanted the azalea on her arm to change to Erzsebet’s crocus- That maybe she didn’t have to wait around to meet her soulmate. Maybe her soulmate was her smart and beautiful roommate!

Unfortunately, by the time of Angela’s birthday, she couldn’t really concentrate on such things. Torbjorn had been severely injured during a mission, and the teen rushed back to Sweden to visit him in the hospital. When she arrived, he seemed very pleased to see her...With his remaining eye, that is. He was also missing an arm- But he seemed to have gained a constant watchdog. A huge man with blonde hair, also missing an eye. Angela recognized him as Reinhardt Wilhelm. “Ah, Angela! You’re training to be a doctor, right lass? Tell Reinhardt he can go away now please!” Angela sighed with relief, happy that her godfather was himself despite everything that happened. “I’m only in training, Torbjorn. Besides, I don’t work here, it’s not my place to tell Herr Wilhelm to leave.” She shrugged, taking the liberty of checking on Torbjorn’s chart (half from worry and half from curiosity). “Keine Notwendigkeit, so formell zu sein!” Reinhardt regarded her in their mutually shared first language. “Wenn du darauf bestehst.” Angela smiled at the man, happy to be able to speak German with someone again. (Though she attended school in Germany, all subjects were taught in English for the benefit of international students.) “Look at you two, leaving me out of conversation even though I’m injured!” Torbjorn huffed. “Sorry, sorry! We’ll stop!” Angela giggled, taking a spot in a chair next to the man’s bed. “Oh, Angela...Did Ingrid get to telling you we’re expecting again?” Torbjorn regarded the teen, a fond smile replacing his normally grumpy expression. “No! When did she find out?” “A few months ago! I’m surprised she hasn’t told you yet! We’re expecting another girl.” Angela was also surprised that Ingrid hadn’t told her the good news, but she was still happy to hear it. “That’s wonderful, Torbjorn! Though, Ingrid is going to have even more on her plate…” Concern plagued the teen’s features, but her godfather used his remaining hand to pat her head. “Don’t you worry, lass. We’re going to be just fine.” And regardless of the situation at hand, Angela believed him.

By the time Angela made it back to her dorm, she was exhausted both physically and emotionally. She hardly noticed when the clock struck twelve, signaling her birthday had begun. But as she dragged herself to the bathroom to brush her teeth, she was able to catch the brilliant pink of her azalea fall away and give form to...Deep red blooming on her arm, followed by a dark green stem, covered in thorns. The crimson settled and took shape, leaving the marking of a single red rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The funny thing is that Erzsebet is the Hungarian form of Elizabeth. Like Ashe's first name is Elizabeth. :) 
> 
> Also bless the Valkyrie story for providing me with mercy lore. 
> 
> ALSO HI I'M BACK 
> 
> German translations:  
> “Keine Notwendigkeit, so formell zu sein!” = No need to be so formal  
> “Wenn du darauf bestehst.” = If you insist


	3. Magnolia, petunia

Really? A red rose for a soulmate? How frighteningly cliche. How many other people had roses as their flower? Angela knew that whoever had her azalea would be her soulmate, but she also knew that sometimes soulmates never met- the world was wide and besides all that, there was a crisis going on. Death was everywhere you looked- surely that meant not everyone would find that person marked for them. A red rose was too expected, too common. Suddenly, all of Angela’s hopes of finding a soulmate like her mother and father or Torbjorn and Ingrid were dashed. At fourteen, Angela was already bitter about a soulmate she knew nothing about, all because of the rose that bloomed in the stead of her azalea. Oh well, she was far too busy for such frivolous things anyway.

Is what she would keep telling herself, regardless if it ended up always being true. It certainly was true while she was at the institute, and it continued to be true when she started attending university back in Switzerland, which was home to the best medical school in the world.But, she still had time to visit family from time to time, including when she got to go to the Overwatch Swiss headquarters to see Torbjorn, who was often stationed there. Aside from being able to see her father figure, she also got to know and love many Overwatch agents.

_Magnolia- Nobility_

One such person Angela met and got to know well was Ana Amari. The teen was very intimidated by her at first- With good reason! Ana Amari was second in command at Overwatch, she was an excellent soldier and her marksmanship had no rival. But, as Angela got to know her, she learned that Ana was very kind and caring, a protector to all around her, a prankster, and that she took no shit from anyone. Something odd about Ana that was noteworthy to Angela was the fact that Ana was married, as shown by the wedding ring adorning her left index finger, but the magnolia on her arm was unaccompanied. Once she had spent more time with the woman, the teen asked her about it over tea one day. Ana smiled somewhat bitterly in response, setting down her cup and regarding the tattoo on her arm. “I met my husband long before I met the person this magnolia is for.” She explained. Angela tilted her head. “Do you...Not love your husband?”

“It’s not quite so simple, Angela. I do love Sam...I, perhaps, am not in love with him. Nor do I think he is in love with me. I believe we stay together for the sake of our daughter.” Yes, Fareeha. Angela had met the girl, who was thirteen. “Fareeha is a smart girl, and a teenager. I’m sure she would understand if you explained it to her.” Ana sighed, picking up her cup again. “I have absolute faith that Fareeha would understand. But, I have a very dangerous profession, Angela. I could die at any time. Staying with Sam ensures a safe place for my daughter. That is what’s important.” Angela frowned, her brow furrowed. “Doesn’t your happiness matter, Ana? You say you’ve met your soulmate...Don’t you want to be with them?”

“Of course I do. My soulmate is a wonderful man. I am far more compatible with him than I am with Sam...But, I refuse to leave Sam for Fareeha’s sake...And my soulmate? Well, he refuses to act while I am still married. He’s very honorable that way.” She looked back at the magnolia, fondness in her brown eyes. “It stands for nobility, very fitting for R-” Ana paused, looking back at Angela for a solid two minutes before continuing. “For Reinhardt.”

“Reinhardt is your soulmate?” Angela was shocked, but upon digesting the information and thinking it through, she did notice how the giant man was more gentle around Ana, more reserved- His smiles ever present, but how much better he listened when she was around. The fondness in his remaining eye whenever he looked at her. The white flowers surrounded by sharp green leaves on his arm...The holly for Ana. Protection. There couldn’t be a better flower for the Egyptian woman. “Doesn’t that make it hard? You’re together so much of the time.” Angela started, growing concerned. Ana shrugged. “Of course it’s hard...Knowing you’re so close to your real soulmate and not being able to be with them in the ways you wish. It’s jus-” She was cut off by a very tense looking Jack Morrison entering the dining hall. “Jack? Is everything alright?” Jack’s blue eyes landed on Ana. “Yeah, well, no. Kind of? Gabe just came back from a raid on the Deadlock Gang, you were there for that brief, yeah? Anyway- He’s got a kid with him. Deadlock, well, former Deadlock now. Says he made a deal with the kid- Join Blackwatch or get locked up in max for the rest of his life.” Ana sighed, finishing her tea. “How old is the boy?” “Seventeen.” Jack provided, glancing at Angela- The two were the same age. “He needs a check up, but everyone in medical is swamped. I’m not completely happy with the med staff yet, regardless, but there’s really no one who can give him the check up he needs.” The commander groaned, rubbing his eyes. Angela sheepishly interjected, probably not anywhere she had business interjecting. “I, um, I could? I have been taught how to do proper checkups. I know the full procedures required.” Jack regarded her with a long, hard gaze. “...Well, I’m out of options so it’ll have to do. Come on, kid, follow me.” Angela did as she was told, shooting a small smile to Ana before following after Jack, having to run to keep up with his brisk walking speed.She was taken to a part of the base she had never been to before, garnering many skeptical looks from passersby- But they swiftly looked away when they realized she was with the commander. Once they reached the Blackwatch division, Jack sorted through a closet to hand her a lab coat. “Here. Take this and give me your visitors pass. The last thing we need is the kid thinking we let just anyone perform exams.” Angela nodded, unclipping the pass from her belt loop and handing it to the commander, who gave her the coat in exchange. She swiftly pulled it on, tying up her hair and heading into the office with Jack.

Gabriel Reyes was seen standing next to a bed, talking in hushed tones to a man- No, a boy the same age as Angela. The boy had shaggy brown hair, a scruffy, sorry excuse for a beard, tan skin and brown eyes. Upon realizing Jack had arrived, Gabe turned to him, catching sight of Angela. He raised a brow to Jack, who gave an exasperated look in response. Gabriel regarded Angela for a long moment and then shrugged. “He’s all yours, doc.” He gave her a surprisingly gentle smile and left the room with Jack. Angela nodded, taking a few moments to wash her hands and pull on a pair of sterile gloves once she had dried off.

_Petunia- Resentment_

“Name?” Angela grabbed a holopad and was going to begin taking notes, but the other teen just snorted. “Y’don’t look old enough to be a doctor. Much less an Overwatch doctor. Did they jus’ stick me with some student? Are ya even a medical student?” He asked, brown eyes narrowed. Angela bit back a snarky response. “As a matter of fact, yes. I am top of my class and well versed enough to handle a simple examination. Name, please.” She would retain professionalism, no matter what. She wouldn’t make commander Morrison or Reyes regret trusting her. “Mccree.” Came the response from the boy. “Full name.” Angela requested, her patience being tested. Silence from the other. “Mccree, the faster you answer my questions, the faster we can be done. That would be beneficial for both of us, ja?” Another few moments of silence- Until, finally. “Jesse Mccree.” He relented.

“Age?”

“Seventeen.”

“Date of birth?”

“August 15th.”

“Alright...Do you do drugs?”

“Nah, don’t have the stomach for em.”

“Good, good. Drink?”

“I mean, yeah? I was in a gang.” Angela sucked her teeth in response, shaking her head. But, she pressed on. “Do you smoke?”

“Yeah, and I am really itchin’ for one right now.” Mccree lamented. “Smoking is extremely detrimental to your health.” Angela informed him, glancing at him cooly. But he rose to the challenge, fire in his brown eyes. “Well, I have the utmost faith you can patch me up, doctor.” His tone was condescending, sarcastic. Angela bit the inside of her mouth, trying to keep her cool. This was just a test- She would always have to deal with unruly patients. Jesse Mccree was just a test.

She jotted down her notes on the holopad, then moving onto the exam proper. First came his eyesight- It was perfect, more than perfect. Angela made the mistake of pouting at the results. Mccree smirked. “Jealous, doc?”

“Envious. There is a difference.” The blonde corrected, setting up to do the hearing test next. Mccree’s hearing was also excellent, though not quite as excellent as his vision, still above average. His reflexes were sharp and he seemed alright through the brief psych evaluation, though it wasn’t very in depth, so she jotted down for Commander Reyes to possibly explore that with the proper staff. All and all, he seemed as if he would make an excellent agent- Though, he was walking with a slight limp and he would hiss in pain every so often. Angela had him stand in place for a minute, which is when she noticed it- There was a bit of blood dripping onto the white tile of the office. “Your pants...I need you to remove them.” Jesse was obviously taken back, but of course he tried to make a joke of it, the jerk. “Well now, you’re awfully pretty, doc, but ya ain’t really my type…”

“Pants. Off. Now.” Angela hissed through gritted teeth. He was injured and she was going to get to the bottom of it. With one more moment’s hesitation, Mccree did as he was told, allowing Angela to see what she needed to. There was a sizable gash on his right leg, from his calf all the way to the knee. The wound was rather deep and had been bleeding for a while. “When did this happen?” The teen asked, gesturing for Jesse to take a seat again. “Erm...Jes a little bit ago? It was my own damn fault. I forgot about the knife in my boot. Got jostled durin’ the flight. Was too embarrassed to tell the commander.” Jesse explained, suddenly sheepish. Angela rolled her eyes, cleaning off the wound before taking a better look. He needed stitches, it was a real shame the technology she had been working on in her free time was not ready to test yet...No, for now, she would have to do things the old fashioned way. She readied the supplies, sterilizing everything before setting Mccree’s leg in position. He looked nervous. “Are ya sure you can do this? Maybe you should tell-” Angela cut him off with a glare. “There’s no one available, Mccree. I have done stitches before, so shut up and let me do my job.” She spoke with authority, and was able to get him to finally shut his mouth as she cleaned the injury. Then, she carefully, meticulously, started to stitch up the wound. Her hands were steady and she found herself telling Mccree he was doing great, causing the teen to relax- He, in that moment, started looking at her in a new light, though she didn’t yet know it.

After she was done, she looked at her work with a satisfied smile. Though, she suddenly dropped it when Gabriel Reyes came back into the room. His dark eyes surveyed the situation and he looked at her, wordlessly questioning how everything went. “Ah, c,commander Reyes...His examination went well. He’s got above average hearing and his eyesight is even better. His reflexes are also something to be admired, and uh, he’s in good health. Aside from a smoking problem and some underage drinking…” Angela regarded Jesse’s chart, her hands shaking slightly from nerves. “Erm, and I know I probably didn’t have clearance to,but, well- He was injured and his leg, it needed stitches and it had already been bleeding, I couldn't just leave it! I’m sorry I went against what I was told to do, bu-” Gabriel cut her off by putting up his hand. He examined the stitches on Mccree’s leg in silence, then turned back to her, putting a hand on her head. “Nah, you did the right thing, kid. Thanks for patching him up so well.” He gave her that same oddly gentle smile. As he had before. “Did he give you any trouble?” Angela laughed, nodding. “He clearly has an attitude problem, but that’s not something I can fix.” Gabe barked out a laugh. “That’s where I come in, doc. I’ll beat some sense into this brat, don’t you worry.” Well, she was a little worried at the word ‘beat’, but she didn’t press it. She just nodded, smiling. “Thank you for trusting me, Commander Reyes. It means a lot.” The man just gave another shrug. “You did us a favor by volunteering. Jack will be back soon to take you upstairs- You shouldn’t go wandering this area by yourself, okay?” Angela nodded, shrugging off the lab coat and taking her hair down. “I understand.” She sat in comfortable silence until Jack came to get her- She gave a small wave to Commander Reyes and Jesse as she left, feeling reinvigorated by actually getting to put what she had been learning into practice. It would all be worth it.

And seeing Angela wave, Jesse caught a glimpse of the tattoo on her right arm. The red rose with a stem covered in thorns… And if he weren’t preoccupied with talking to the commander about his new life, he would have recalled a picture of a friend- A friend he would exchange late night stories with, he learned what her tattoo had been before it took the shape of some kind of pink flower. He would have recalled it to be the same exact shape as Angela’s, he would have been able to ask if the blonde had formerly had some kind of pink flower on her arm- But, alas, he was a bit too busy learning the ins and outs of Blackwatch. No real time to think of that old friend...The one with long white hair and eyes the color of roses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and I'm back!!! This time with the longest chapter thus far! I always love the idea of Jesse and Angela being friends, as they are the same age and were around Overwatch at the same time. Though, teen Jesse was probably a stinker and gave people a lot of trouble when he first arrived, so I imagine he would give Angela a hard time. 
> 
> Also, to clarify, petunia is the flower of Jesse's soulmate  
> His flower would have been replaced at 14
> 
> Brownie points to whoever can figure out who Jesse's soulmate will be


	4. Amaryllis, marigold

_Amaryllis- Pride_

Months started to fly by after Angela met Mccree, and despite her original disdain towards him, she actually found him to be quite funny and kind, when he wanted to be. The two had grown closer as time ticked on, even with Angela’s intensive studies and Jesse’s work with Blackwatch. Though pursuing a medical degree had always been and always will be a long process, Angela shot through her schooling, obtaining her MD and PHD before the time she was twenty-three. She was young, brilliant, and full of promise- And the world of medicine took notice of her. Angela was brought on as head of surgery at a prominent hospital in Switzerland, but she wasn’t satisfied- She could be doing more.

She never stopped working. Despite being so young, she would constantly have bags under her eyes, her back would ache from being hunched over at her desk, she practically lived on coffee. But she wouldn’t stop- Couldn’t stop. Angela had been studying nanobiology for years, and had written several thesis on it during her time at school, but it wasn’t perfect yet. There was still so much improvement needed in such an experimental field. When she wasn’t doing her job, she was doing research on nanobiology, she was very reclusive during this time, hardly taking time to remain in contact with anyone. She still spoke to Torbjorn and Ingrid, who expressed concern over her work habits- Angela remarked that Torbjorn was calling the kettle black. She still spoke to Jesse, when they both had time. She even found the opportunity to attend the wedding of her old friend and roommate, Erzsebet. Though she was happy for her old friend and former crush, it did ignite a nasty, bitter feeling within her- And she spent too much of that night glaring at the rose on her right arm. After the wedding, Angela threw herself even deeper into her research, only stopping when she had her actual job to do. And, finally, it all paid off. She had done it! She had broken through the mysteries of applying nanobiology to the field of healing. Before long, she had published a paper on the subject and that gained the attention of someone she hadn’t expected. Angela received the call while on her lunch break. It was a number she didn’t recognize, but it was still a Swiss number. Hesitant, she answered. “Hello?” She asked into the receiver, mindlessly moving some mashed potatoes around her tupperware. “Dr.Ziegler? This is Commander Jack Morrison. I was wondering if you could spare a moment to talk to me.” Jack Morrison? Why was Jack Morrison calling her so suddenly? Had something happened to Torbjorn? Was he dead?? “Uh, sure. Of course.” Angela finally managed to get out, ignoring the swirling worries in her head. “Thank you. I wanted to let you know I read your paper on nanobiology- Brilliant stuff, can’t say I totally understand it. But, what I do understand is the amount of good it could do. Honestly, Dr.Ziegler, I wanted to ask you to come talk to me at Overwatch headquarters here in Switzerland. If you can find the time, that is. I’m sure you’re very busy.” After Jack’s explanation, Angela was taken aback. He read her paper? It didn’t seem like he was all that interested in medicine, he even admitted that! Still, the least she could do was meet with him. “I’m available the day after tomorrow, does that work with you, Commander?” Now, she couldn’t see his face, but she could tell that Jack was now smiling. “That’s perfect. I’ll see you then, doctor.” And with that, the call ended.

True to her word, Angela showed up at Overwatch HQ two days later. She wore her hair down, her blonde locks falling onto her crisp ,white lab coat. She didn’t know why she chose to wear the coat at all, but it did make her feel a little more in control of her situation. It was a symbol of all her hard work- Her name was etched in black right above her heart. ‘Doctor Angela Ziegler’. It had been a gift from Torbjorn when she received her PHD. She strode into the building, the receptionist showed her to Commander Morrison’s office, wasting no time at all. Jack was gazing out the window when Angela entered. The receptionist cleared her throat before speaking. “Commander Morrison? Doctor Ziegler is here, as you requested.” With that announcement, Jack turned to face the young woman. He wore the long, Overwatch blue coat, as always. But he had a pleasant smile on his face when he looked at her. “Doctor Ziegler, please sit. Do you want any coffee or tea? Perhaps some water?” Angela blinked several times. “Uh, coffee would be great, thank you.” He nodded, looking past her and to his receptionist. She nodded, and turned away, walking to, assumedly, get the coffee. With that, both blondes took a seat. “If you don’t mind me asking, Commander, what’s this about? You said you read my paper?” Jack nodded, pulling up his holopad- on the screen was the paper in question. “I did. Several times, actually. Like I said before, I didn’t really get it- But, one of the scientists here...O’Deorain? Are you familiar with her? Anyway, I asked her about what it could mean- She was very impressed and told me that I ought to seek you out. This is a huge opportunity for the world of medicine.” “Yes, I would agree with that.” Angela chimed in- She knew what it meant for the world of medicine. And of course she had heard of Moira O’Deorain. She was equal parts brilliant and controversial. A geneticist. “My point is, Angela…” Jack was cut off by the return of his receptionist, who held two cups of coffee. She silently placed one in front of both the commander and the doctor before leaving the room again. After taking a long sip of the liquid, Jack stood. “I want to offer you a job, Angela. Head of medical and medical research here at Overwatch.” Head of medical and medical research? That was huge! Angela nearly choked on her coffee hearing such an offer. She was hardly twenty-four and he was offering her the position of head of medical and medical research? For something like Overwatch? It was insane! And she would be insane to turn it down! But...Well, she did have her doubts. “I...That is incredible, commander. But, I do have...Some reservations.” Jack made a ‘go on’ gesture, indicating he was listening. “I want to focus on peacetime and civilian applications of my research. I didn’t work my ass off to create a new way for commanders to send soldiers into danger.” She spoke very frankly- Perhaps too frankly considering her position, but she stood firm. Jack smiled cordially. “I have more than enough soldiers. What I need are thinkers. Dreamers. People who want to make the world a better place. You could be on the cusp of a breakthrough that could change the lives of every living person on the planet. I want to make that a reality and take away all the roadblocks so you can focus on revolutionizing your field. You won't have to worry about grants or haggling for equipment, doctor. Whatever you want, whatever you need? You’ll get it.” She couldn’t say no. Jack Morrison had made it impossible to refuse his offer. Smiling, she held out her hand, her blue eyes meeting Jack’s own. “I accept.” Jack grinned, taking her hand. “Excellent. Doctor Ziegler, welcome to Overwatch.”

The next few weeks were a whirlwind for Angela. She left her position at the hospital, giving a recommendation for her replacement before she did so- She packed up her apartment and moved house to Overwatch HQ. Her office was spacious, plenty of room for a desk, some bookshelves, a counter complete with a mini-fridge and coffee maker, and even a soft, brown leather couch. She added a few personal touches to her office, like an area rug and a few framed photos, she even hung up her diplomas and certifications- Proudly displaying her accomplishments. And, being head of medical also provided her with a rather nice living situation. Honestly, her room was nearly as big as her old apartment. There was a small living room area, which Angela personalized by removing the (rather tacky) orange couches and replacing them with the same kind of couch she had in her office, a soft white rug covered the floor, under a coffee table. There was a tiny kitchen area, though most meals were eaten in the cafeteria with other agents, to promote growth and comradery. Angela’s bed was large and plush, and she considered that she might actually get some sleep. The on-suite bathroom had most trappings of a perfectly serviceable restroom...With the addition of a nice, large tub. It was waaaay nicer than her old apartment- Angela thought she might cry when seeing the potential for long soaks in such a large tub. However, true to form, she dove right into work and was always working. There were a lot of agents to look after! Fortunately, she had a great staff of doctors and nurses to assist her- It didn’t keep her from overworking herself, nothing ever did. Though, she did find time for some fun. She remained close with Jesse, despite them being in different sections- Her in medical and him in Blackwatch. The two of them would sometimes go into town and go drinking- She became close with a few other agents as well, everyone had a lot of personality! Though, there was someone she hadn’t expected to get any connection with...And yet, she found herself oddly taken by an older woman. A brilliant, controversial woman. Doctor Moria O’Deorain.

_Marigold- Cruelty._

Moira was complicated, Angela always thought so. She was incredibly guarded, she regarded most people as far less intelligent than herself. She was full of herself, but Angela couldn’t deny her findings in the field of genetics were nothing short of amazing. There were a lot of things about Moira that infuriated Angela...But, there was also something so...Intriguing about her. “Doctor Ziegler, I was wondering if I could pick your brain about something.” Moira surprised Angela one day, stepping into her office. Angela’s head snapped up from her work, eyes meeting those unfairly attractive, off-kilter mismatched eyes the other woman possessed. “Oh, this is new...Sure, what is it?” Moira stalked in, placing some of her research in front of Angela, pointing at a particular passage. As she came close, Angela picked up some particular scents from the other woman- She did smell slightly steril, as all doctors did- But there was also hints of an earthy smell...Maybe driftwood? There was also a distinct ,sharp citrus scent. Orange? It was distracting. “I was wondering if nanobiology could be used to regenerate lost cells. Or, rather- It’s more like cells that are constantly in a state of dying.” Moira explained, capturing Angela’s attention once again. The blonde’s brows furrowed as she took a closer look at the paper. “...It isn’t impossible, but it would be very difficult. Nanobiology is still in its infancy. Something like this is a very complex situation. Cells that are in a constant state of decay?” Moira hummed, leaving Angela to study the paper as she used the other doctor’s coffee machine. “I know it sounds odd, but I have come across some cases in the last few years. It’s an extremely rare condition- And no one really knows what causes it.” She explained, tucking her long arms behind her back as she waited for the coffee to brew. Angela was stumped. She had never heard of such a condition. Why hadn’t she heard of a condition like this? She said as much to Moira, who didn’t seem at all surprised. “In all honesty, Angela, I only know a little myself. I’ve only been able to do a little research, but as you can suspect, I do have my hands quite full with other projects.” Angela did suspect as much- She knew Moira was very reclusive and absorbed in her work, which made her appearance in Angela’s office all the more surprising. “Well, like I said, using nanobiology to repair cells that are in this state isn’t impossible, but I would have to know more about this condition to give a more satisfactory answer. Moira sighed, coming back over, now with a cup of coffee in her well manicured hand. “Unfortunate, but I did suspect as much. Thank you for your input.” She retrieved her paper from Angela, but those mismatched eyes lingered on the younger woman for a moment. “...Tell me, Angela. Do you ever find time to unwind?” It was a sudden, odd question. Especially from Moira O’Deorain. But, it soon became clear what she meant when she asked it. It was made abundantly clear when she pinned Angela on the couch. The blonde didn’t resist- Not even for a moment. Moira was very experienced and it had been so very long for Angela...They both were unwound by the end of it, but it all felt so hollow to the younger woman. Maybe she was naive, maybe she was too harsh on Moira’s demeanor. But, it was kind of hard to believe either of those things. The older woman was so cold, her touch sent shivers up Angela’s spine- Her deep voice rang in the blonde’s ears...Those eyes...Those unsettling mismatch of red-brown and deep blue haunted Angela’s dreams.

It was all wrong. But Angela couldn’t find it in her to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, hi????? I'm the worst about posting and I am so sorry! Thank you to everyone who has read this fic regardless of my shitty posting schedule. 
> 
> So, yeah- This Moicy fling will be very brief  
> I always liked the agnst of Moira using Angela for something like this. Cuz, lets be honest. She only uses people and doesn't actually care about them?? 
> 
> I want to clarify that Moira is an odd case for soulmates- I think I'll reveal it next chapter, but she's an odd one for sure. 
> 
> Amaryllis is the flower of Jack's soulmate, though I didn't hint on who it was. That's a later plot point :3


	5. Gardenia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING   
> This chapter contains themes of emotional abuse and manipulation   
> Please read at your discretion!

_Gardenia- Secret love_

Moira O’Deorain was /awful/. She was foul, arrogant, manipulative, vile- She made Angela, brilliant Dr.Angela Ziegler, feel like nothing. Feel worthless. Feel like she would never find the time to be with her soulmate, so why try? Just be content with what she had. And what exactly did she have? Well, she had fucking Moira O’Deorain. The woman made Angela feel like such shit...And yet...She always went back. Angela found herself in Moira’s bed again and again, letting the redhead mark her, degrade her, demean her. Angela /hated/ Moira. She /hated/ who she was when she was with Moira. So why the fuck did she return to that loveless embrace time and time again? Because she was weak. She was lonely and tired and overworked. Her defenses were paper thin, and she was in far too deep- She couldn’t fight the current anymore.

“You’re weak, Angela.”

“I know.”

“You can’t stay away, can you?”

“I can’t...I need you.”

“Yes, you do need me. Come here, aingeal. Come to me.”

And she went. She always fucking went. Angela hardly recognized herself after her meetings with Moira. She was messy, the bags under her eyes seemed to have bags, there were goddamn claw marks all over her, her blue eyes were hollow- And she knew. She /knew/ how unhealthy it was- She knew how fucking awful Moira was to her and that she shouldn’t stand for it anymore. But, well, she was fragile- Far more so than she ever anticipated. Angela hid behind her brilliant mind, she hid behind her life-saving work, hid behind her degrees and certifications, hid behind her status. But really? Angela Ziegler was nothing. No one. “Why do we keep doing this…?” The blonde asked one day after one of their /sessions/. Moira quirked a brow, already getting dressed. “Like I said, Angela. You can’t stay away from me, it’s just in your nature to need someone stronger than you.” Angela stared at the ceiling, digging her fingernails into her palms...Just to keep from crying. She would not let Moira see her cry. “And you? What do you get out of it?” She heard the other woman’s footfalls approaching the bed before a cold (Moira’s hands were always so fucking cold) hand gripped her chin. She was forced to look into those unfeeling, mismatched eyes and see the stupid, smug look on Moira’s face. “It’s quite rewarding...Watching such a brilliant woman turn to, well this.” Her grip on Angela’s chin tightened and the look on her face was absolutely sickening. “You truly are the best toy I’ve had in years.” Moira relinquished Angela’s face before turning away. “Now, if you would be so kind as to leave...I have work to do.”

And so, Angela left. She got dressed and escaped just as fast as she could manage. Don’t cry until you get to your room, don’t cry until you get to your room- It was a mantra...No. It was a plea. She begged herself not to cry, not to break down. Not yet. It was no shock that, while in this state, she collided with someone. The person was very strong, dressed in all black, calloused hands gently helped her up. “You okay ,doc?” That voice...Angela’s eyes snapped up to meet the dark irises belonging to Gabriel Reyes. “Commander Reyes!” She scrambled to straighten herself out. “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going…” The blonde bit her lip, embarrassed. “Jesus, Ziegs. You look like shit. Aren’t you always up people’s asses, telling them to take care of themselves?” Now, this wasn’t malicious. Angela knew it wasn’t. This was just the way Gabriel spoke to people. She /knew that/. And yet? She just looked at the ground, silent tears finally escaping. Gabriel’s smile faded in an instant, and he was quick to gently put a hand on her shoulder. “Angela?” The doctor didn’t want to look at Gabriel. She didn’t want to see anyone- Didn’t want to talk to anyone. But, the logic finally won over her emotion- Her head slowly raised so Gabriel could get a better look at her tear stained face. “Who did this to you?” He knew. Of course he fucking knew. “...Moira.” Angela’s voice was hoarse, hardly above a whisper. Moira’s name felt like poison in her mouth. “Come and get some air with me, arlight? You clearly need to talk this shit out.” It wasn’t a request, not really. Angela fell silent for a few moments before finally speaking again. “...Can I shower first? I feel like it was just Torbjorn’s turn cooking for a month.” Gabriel barked out a laugh- It was so true. Angela loved Torbjorn so much, but he could not cook. A group of highly trained, elite soldiers, doctors, and scientists could only take so much Surströmming. “Fair enough. Meet me on the g wing balcony in...Half an hour?” Angela nodded, promising she would be there.

Most of the doctor’s shower was standing under the scalding water, scrubbing at her body- She would rather feel that pain than the sensation of Moira’s hands still lingering on her skin. And yet, despite all of that, she was still out and dressed in time to meet Gabriel out on the g-wing balcony with two minutes to spare. Unsurprisingly, he was already out there with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. “Almost went for the Irish whisky. Then I realized you probably didn’t want anything else Irish in your body.” He stated with a grin, causing Angela to grimace. “Ughhhh. You’re terrible…” She groaned, taking a seat in the chair opposite him. The man shrugged, pouring the amber liquid. “So I’m told.” Once both glasses had been filled, the two raised their drinks before each took a long sip. Angela felt the tell-tale sting in the back of her throat, but the notes of oak and vanilla were actually quite pleasant- It warmed her right up. After a few moments of silence, Gabriel spoke again. “So...Moira.”

“Moira.” Angela sighed, swirling the liquid that remained in her glass. “How the hell did that happen?” The man inquired, raising a brow. In turn, Angela groaned again. “At first it was just a way to relieve some stress.” Gabriel snorted. “Oh yeah? How’s that stress relief working out for you?” “Just peachy, thanks for asking.” The blonde responded sarcastically. “My pleasure. But, now? Why keep going back?” He was asking the question Angela had been asking herself over and over. She finished her drink, pouring herself another. “She has this way of getting into my head and shutting down my logic. She makes me feel like nothing, like a toy she’s going to eventually get tired of.” Angela admitted after taking another long sip of bourbon. “She’s so fucking awful but I can’t stop myself from going to her every time I feel vulnerable and alone! What the fuck is wrong with me?!” Gabriel took her free hand, giving it a small squeeze. “Not one goddamn thing. You said it yourself- Moira is the one toying with you...She understands the things that make you fall apart and she’ll do it because she feels threatened by you.” This made Angela snort. “Yeah, right. Like I’d believe Moira O’Deorain is threatened by /me/. Good one.”

“It’s true, kid. Pretend, for just a minute, that you’re Moira.”

“Gross.” Came Angela’s groaned response. Gabriel laughed at that, but pressed on. “I know, I know. But- If you can manage, imagine you’re Moira, and you think you’re the smartest person around for fucking miles. You’ve made breakthroughs in the world of genetic engineering and all that shit, and yet you’re seen as too controversial. Your work doesn’t get the kind of praise you expected, instead you gain the ire of the community. Then, one day, your boss hires a fresh-faced twenty-five year old not only to be head of medicine but of medical research. And this /child/ has already outranked you- /And/ she’s the sweetheart of the medical world, /and/ she cracked the use of nanotechnology. You’d be kind of pissed, right?” Angela had to stop and think about that. Yeah, that would suck! Gabriel made total sense! “She worked her damn ass off all this time and pretty much everyone hates her- And here you come, also working your damn ass off...But everyone loves you and praises you. And to someone like Moira? Yeah, I truly feel like she went after you because you showed her up in pretty much every way. She wanted to tear you down to the level she thought you should be.”

Angela set her glass down, both hands moving to cover her mouth. Not only was she shocked at the revelation, but she was floored by how quickly and correctly Gabriel assessed the situation. After a moment, Angela’s hands moved up her face and went through her still-wet hair. “And I’m letting her. I fell right into her trap…” “You sure did. But you aren’t stuck. Prove to her, and more importantly- Prove to yourself that you’re stronger than that. You have faced advisory and you rose above it. Don’t let someone like Moira O’Deorain undo all the amazing things you’ve done. You’re better than that- And even if you don’t believe it now, you have me,Jesse, Ana, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, and Jackie- Erm, Jack...We’re all behind you, kid.” Gabriel paused to put his hand on her head, similar to how he had years before. “You’re Doctor Angela Ziegler. You’re a goddamn genius and a fucking life saver. You’re stronger than you could ever know.” Angela gulped down a sob, nodding. “I….I am, aren’t I?” “You bet your fucking ass you are.” Gabriel grinned, pulling the woman into a hug. “And don’t you ever think you have to go through this shit by yourself. You’re not alone- We’re all with you.”

And with the encouragement of Gabriel, with the support of Jesse, with the protection from Torbjorn and Reinhardt, with the help of Jack, with the guidance of Ana- Angela put an end to her dependence on Moira. She would remain professional, but maintain a safe distance. She would never be one on one with the other woman. She would not be made to feel like that...Never again.

And finally, she began to heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF   
> This chapter was a hard one to write. 
> 
> But I wanted to press on! I'm quite happy with how this chapter turned out, despite the difficulty I had while writing it. And I wanted to thank everyone who has been leaving such wonderful comments! Your feedback means the world to me!
> 
> Aingeal- Angel in Irish   
> Surströmming - Fermented herring


	6. Snapdragon, chrysanthemum and lily-of-the-valley

_Snapdragon- Deceitfulness, playfulness_

The healing process of one’s heart is far more complicated than the process of healing illness or wounds, at least to Angela. She was no stranger to heartache, obviously- She had lost her parents at such a young age, she had lost patients, lost friends- But this was different. Not worse, just different. So different that it wasn’t a matter of heart at all, but head. Moira had wormed her way past all of Angela’s brilliant logic and found a way to unmake the younger woman. Luckily, Overwatch had no shortage of resources, brilliant counselors and psychiatrists, making sense in all the symptoms where all of Angela’s medical knowledge failed her. She spent more time with other agents, especially Ana, Jesse, and Gabriel- Gabriel introduced her to Gérard Lacroix, a brilliant tactician with a happy talent for escaping Talon at every turn. They had tried to kill the man many times, and he always told such stories with dramatic flair and a charming grin. He was a little too big on himself for Angela’s taste, but she did find him amusing.

No, the interest came with his fiance- A mysterious fiance Gérard would boast about, but only a few agents had actually met. Angela herself only met the woman by chance. It was a hot summer afternoon, and Angela had just come out of a long surgery. Gérard had one of his infamous brushes with Talon, and while he was relatively unharmed, some of his team were not so lucky. Still, the young doctor was able to spare everyone’s life...It was just a little more difficult with some of the agents. Wiping some sweat from her brow, Angela stepped into the welcoming area, about to leave base for some much needed chocolate and wine. And that...That is when she caught sight of…Someone rather breathtaking. The woman was tall, slender but still athletic. She was lithe and graceful, even when standing at the receptionist’s desk, demanding to be allowed to see...Someone? Her long hair fell in a silky black braid that trailed down her back, ending right above her rear. She wore a white, cotton dress that hit just above her knees, perfect for the kind of weather they were having this time of year, she also wore light brown wedges- Now, Angela couldn’t see the woman’s face...At least, not yet. “Pardon me? Is there an issue?” Both the mystery woman and the receptionist turned to look at Angela. Relief crossed the receptionist’s features, but Angela was totally distracted by the mystery woman’s face. She had perfect skin, somehow still pale even with the summer sun beating down on everyone. Her head was heart shaped, her nose slightly upturned, her glossed lips were full and looked unfairly kissable. “Doctor Ziegler!” The receptionist spoke up, capturing the blonde’s attention. “This woman wants to see agent Lacroix? I hadn’t been able to reach you, so I wasn’t sure of his status.” She explained, giving the doctor a small smile, which Angela returned, reassuring the receptionist further. “Agent Lacroix is just fine and will make a full recovery.” The mystery woman heaved a sigh of relief and her panicked look was replaced with an absolutely stunning smile. “Thank you Dr.Ziegler, it is quite the relief to hear that!” Damn, her voice was like silk. Low and smooth, her French accent was thick, but she spoke very well. Unfair, all of it unfair. “I am Amélie Guillard, Gérard’s fiance.” The woman, Amélie, explained, extending a hand for Angela. Ah, so this beauty was Gérard’s fiance, no wonder he boasted about her constantly. The doctor took Amélie’s hand, giving it a shake- Her skin was soft and smooth, her nails were painted with perfect French manicures. It was a small mercy that Jesse wasn’t around, he’d tease Angela’s stunned, gay panic for sure. “A, anyway...I suppose you want to see Gérard?” She asked Amélie, who nodded. “Please.” And so, Angela put off her post surgery treat and escorted the gorgeous woman back to the med bay. Gérard wasn’t as injured as the other agents, so he was up and walking around- The grin that spread across his features when spotting Amélie was almost sweet. Almost. But Angela saw /it/. A slight hesitation in Amelie when Gérard wrapped his arms around her. She tensed up, ever so slightly. Something was amiss- Though, it was hardly Angela’s place to say anything. After heaving a small sigh, she informed the nurses to let Amélie stay as long as she wanted, then- finally, Angela left to retrieve her craved wine and chocolate. When she returned, she was shocked to find Amélie sitting in the waiting room, hands folded in her lap, looking very tense. “Erm, Ms.Guillard?” Angela attempted to reach the black haired woman- It actually took a few tries. Finally, Amélie’s head snapped up and her light brown eyes met with Angela’s blues. “Ah, Dr.Ziegler, pardon me…” The French woman gave a tired smile. “I was lost in thought…” She explained, her voice trailing off. Angela tilted her head before casting a look in the direction of the medbay. “...Now, I hope you’ll excuse my impertinence, Ms. Guillard, but does this have anything to do with how you tensed before?” At the question, Amélie let out a long groan. “So it was noticeable…” “Well, I’m a highly trained medical professional.” Angela offered, hopefully giving Amélie some kind of relief. The other woman fell silent until the doctor tried a different approach. She held up the bottle of wine, offering a half smile and a shrug. “Want to talk about it?” This seemed to excite Amélie, as she stood right up, nodding enthusiastically. “That sounds lovely.” The black haired beauty finally smiled again, causing Angela’s heart to skip a beat. She cleared her throat, gesturing for Amélie to follow her. “This way, then. We’ll talk in my quarters.”

So the two took the short walk to Angela’s officer suite- She assumed Amélie had already seen Gérard’s very similar one, as most officers at Overwatch had the same layout, just with different personal touches. Once inside, Angela told Amélie she could take a seat while retrieving two wine glasses. She handed one to the other woman before taking a seat herself, setting the wine on the coffee table in between them, letting it air out a bit. Amélie already made herself comfortable, taking off her shoes and letting her hair out of it's braided constraints- she tried crossing her legs, but found she was too tall and would bump the table, so she just sat up straight with her feet on the floor. Angela giggled a little bit, choosing to sit cross legged on the couch, a position she often found herself in. The two made idle small-talk while they waited for the wine to properly air out, but eventually they were able to fill up the glasses with Angela’s preferred red (Red after less stressful surgeries, white for long surgeries). Amélie took a long sip of the beverage, savoring the taste for a moment before she finally spoke of Gérard. “Look at this, Angela.” She offered the doctor a view of her left arm, which was marked with a vibrant pink flower- A snapdragon. Angela’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t…”

“Match Gérard at all?” Amélie finished, a bitter smile crossing her face. “That’s because it’s not his. My soulmate is out there somewhere while I am here, marrying someone else.” She took another sip of wine, shoulders slumped. “But why? Why are you marrying him if you don’t want to?” Angela asked, even more concerned with the situation. “It’s political. My family is old money, rich history...They wanted me, their only daughter, to marry someone with status.It is not enough for them that I am a celebrated dancer, that I am the prima! No, no. I must marry a successful, respectable man.” She paused, swirling her wine a bit. “Gérard is celebrated in France. He’s a hero to our people just for being in Overwatch. I am not trying to discount his achievements, mind you, it’s just…” Amélie sighed, setting her glass down and holding her head in her hands. “And I’m younger than him, Angela. Younger than nearly ten years! He’s ready for us to start having children right after our wedding...But I’m only twenty-three! I still have some years left of my career! Ballerinas don’t have long careers, it’s true. But I still have time- I haven’t been injured seriously yet. He’s trying to end my passion! My dream! I-...He loves me, I know he does. But I…” Amélie stopped again, eyes on the ceiling and trying to fight back tears. “I think I hate him...Just a little. He’s at heart a good man, but, I don’t want this…” She choked out, tears finally escaping. “I worked so hard!” Angela put down her glass, drawing the younger woman into her arms. “You did, I bet you’re amazing...It isn’t right for this to be happening. Even if your parents want you to do this, I’m sure Gérard can be reasoned with. You need to stick up for yourself, Amélie. Draw the line somewhere...You worked your ass off to achieve this incredible feat, it should not be ended on someone else’s terms.” Amélie wept into Angela’s chest, gripping the older woman, but Angela did feel her nodding. They stayed like that for a bit, until Amélie sat up again, wiping her face free from tears. “Mon dieu...We just met and I already opened my heart to you- What an odd day.” She laughed a little, reaching for her wine again. Angela gave a laugh herself, nodding in agreement. “Well, here’s to the interesting start of a beautiful friendship.” She held out her glass, which the other woman gently tapped with her own. “Here, here.”

Both Amélie and Angela found a confidant that night, and they would meet up when they could- To rant, to gossip, or just to get drunk on wine. Outside of the emotional turmoil in her life, Amélie was a very fun person, filled with life and laughter. She was quick with a joke or sarcastic quip, especially fast to handle Jesse with her mischievous nature. Along with her and the infuriating but lovable cowboy, Angela had two true friends she could not only rely on but have the most fun she had ever had with. She still had a ton of work, but that was normal- At some point Angela had just accepted she would always have tons of work, she didn’t mind it. She felt fulfilled and content with her life at the current, but...that didn’t stop things from being hard. And she was about to face the most difficult challenge of her career.

_Chrysanthemum- Cheerfulness, kindness_

_Lily of the valley - Sweetness, return to happiness_

It was a day in late August, the air was thick with humidity, and the sky threatened to open up at any moment. But it was quiet in HQ, there wasn’t much going on at all. Commander Reyes had taken a number of Blackwatch and even some Overwatch agents on a mission to Japan. Angela wasn’t too sure on the details, she was just enjoying some quiet time for once. She was able to sleep in that day, even finding that she could take a long soak in the tub before tending to some paperwork. It was a peaceful, kind of boring day. But there wasn’t anything wrong with boring every once in a while, sometimes it was necessary to give the mind and body time to rest, to reset. But, suddenly… “Doctor Ziegler! Paging Doctor Ziegler! Urgent! Your presence is required! Urgent!” Angela bolted from her desk, all her relaxing paperwork left along with a cup of tea. She bolted into the medbay proper to find Gabriel and Jesse- She was confused until she saw what was on the operating table between them. It was a person, most assuredly. But oh! How mangled this poor soul had been! One side of his torso was nearly gone, including his shoulder and arm, both legs gone below the knees, face burned and slashed, his lower jaw shattered. Angela put a hand over her mouth in shock, silently looking to Gabriel for answers. “Genji Shimada. He was left like this after a confrontation with the new leader of the clan...We were hoping we could use him to take down the Shimadas.” He answered for sure, but Angela didn’t like it one bit. “I told Jack that I wasn’t going to make soldiers! I told him-” Gabriel raised a hand to cut her off. “Just...Save him first, okay? We’ll ask him what he wants when he wakes up.” Angela still didn’t like it, but relented. “Fine. Both of you, out of my operating room. I have work to do.” She snapped, tying back her hair and instructing the nurses to prep for surgery. It ended up being the most intense surgery Angela had ever done, the poor man was touch and go so many times- But due to her vast knowledge and the resources at her disposal, the doctor was able to bring Genji Shimada back from the brink of death. She emerged from the operating room ten hours after she went in, collapsing into a seat pulled out for her by Jesse. “He’s stable...He’ll need to be fitted with prosthetics for both legs, an arm, and his lower jaw. The scarring across his torso required some preliminary cybernetic augmentation. Part of his throat as well...You still want to ask this poor man to be your weapon?” She asked Gabriel, giving him a tired glare. Gabriel just shrugged in response. “The Shimadas are out of control, doc. And like I said, we’ll give him the choice. Let me know when he wakes up.” Gabriel left without another word, Jack following after him- Jesse put a hand on Angela’s shoulder. “Come on, Angie. You need to eat somethin.” She groaned, but conceded- When he was right, he was right. Under the watchful eyes of Mccree, Angela ate, hydrated, and was put to bed just after four in the morning.

She woke three hours later and immediately went to check on Genji. To her surprise and delight, he was awake. “Good morning, Mr.Shimada. I am Dr.Ziegler.” She greeted him with a smile- He tried to respond, but was clearly unused to the sensation of his prosthetic jaw. He grumbled something in Japanese, frustrated and disoriented. “Where….am I?”Genji managed after a few minutes of adjusting his jaw. “Overwatch headquarters in Switzerland. Our agents brought you here after a grizzly fight with the leade-” “Hanzo.” He cut her off. Angela tilted her head. “Sorry?” Genji grumbled again, looking down at his remaining hand. “Hanzo did this. My brother.” Angela was suddenly floored- His /brother/ did this? She felt sick- How could anyone do this...To their family?! “I...I am terribly sorry to hear that, Mr.Shimada. Do you know...Why he did this?” The man chuckled darkly. “Disobeyed the clan. Hanzo said he had to bring order, that it was his duty. Call me Genji, please. I don’t want to be Shimada anymore.” That part was a growl, and the anger rising within him was palpable- Angela feared that Gabriel would get his way at this rate. Taking a deep breath, Angela gave Genji an amicable smile. “Very well, Genji. I have to inform Commander Reyes that you’ve woken up. He has...A proposition for you.” The man looked at her, confusion clear even on his scarred features. Without another word, Angela commed Gabriel, suspecting the man was already awake, as seven would be late for him to be getting up. He arrived with Jesse just five minutes later. Genji sized both men up from his spot on the bed, eyes narrowing. “Dr.Ziegler said you had...a proposition for me? What is it?” Gabriel smirked a bit. “Cuts right to the chase, I like that. Well, Genji, we’ve been noticing how out of control the Shimadas have been recently. Something about this new leader has them emboldened.” Genji snorted at that. “They know they can control him. Hanzo is too weak, too eager to please.” “That kind of information would be vital in taking them down. We want your help to do it.” Gabriel’s smile didn’t reach his eyes...Angela hated seeing that part of him. “Oh yeah? How am I supposed to help like this?” Genji inquired, glaring at his damaged body. The commander shrugged, nonchalant. “Kid, this is Overwatch. We have access to the most advanced tech there is- We could build you a new body, with the good doctor’s help, of course. You could be faster, stronger than ever before.” Genji fell silent, seemingly thinking about it. But Angela could already tell- He was filled with rage and confusion, he wanted revenge. And, after a single minute of deliberation with himself, he locked eyes with Gabriel. “I’ll do it. Make me your weapon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii  
> I am back! I wonder if you can guess who Amelie's soulmate is by the meaning of their flower :'). Some are harder than others. I feel like this suits the person I have in mind but I do wonder if it's that way to everyone else.  
> I ALSO LOVEEEEE the idea of Amelie being someone who was very emotional and full of life before she got turned into Widowmaker. It just makes it all the more tragic, I think 
> 
> I want to clear up something that might be confusing- Genji has two soulmates because I can't decide which ship of his to go with so I said FUCK IT WHY NOT BOTH


	7. White Jasmine

_ White Jasmine- Sweet love  _

Angela Ziegler was extremely unhappy with how things progressed with Genji- But, he was given a choice and he chose to become a weapon. Her job was always tiring, but somehow it was even more tiring during the times she was working on his new body- He was just so angry, and Angela supposed she couldn’t blame him, his anger had reason. But after long sessions of fitting new pieces on him and testing out those pieces, she was always drained of any energy. She always returned to her room very late at night or early in the morning. Once, after a particularly long session, she didn't leave the lab until nine in the morning, which was when she had gone in the day before. After staying up a full twenty-four hours, Angela wanted nothing more than to collapse onto her bed and sleep the day away...Unfortunately for her, her job never ceased. There was always a new project. 

The new project smacked right into her that day, being so tired that she was totally unaware of her surroundings. She landed flat on her ass, also knocking over whoever it was she had bumped into “Ach, gott!” The doctor groaned, finally opening her eyes fully to see who she had to apologize to. It was...A total stranger! She was rather small, short and thin- Her brown hair was styled in a spiky, punk look, a kind of distraction from the crisp air-force uniform she was wearing. Her brown eyes were wide and filled with worry and there was a light dusting of freckles on her cheeks. “Are you okay, love? Real sorry for bumping into you like that! I must be looking pretty daft, knocking over an Overwatch official like that…” The young woman rose to her feet first, offering a hand to Angela, who took it with a smile. “No, no. The fault is mine- I must admit I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.” The woman seemed relieved, and Angela got an even better look at her impressive uniform. It was clearly of the Royal Air force, which was quite a feat for someone so young. She must be a formidable pilot. The name emblazoned on her deep blue jacket read Lena Oxton. “Ah, Doctor Ziegler.” A familiar voice interrupted the blonde’s train of thought and her eyes left Lena to find Jack Morrison approaching them. “I see you’ve met the pilot who's going to be testing the Slipstream.” Lena saluted both Angela and Jack, shifting into a more formal way of speaking. “Flight lieutenant Lena Oxton, at your service.” Ah yes, the Slipstream. Angela had been so busy with Genji that she hardly even remembered the briefs about Overwatch trying to build the first jet with teleportation capabilities. “Lieutenant Oxton comes very highly recommended, we’re lucky to have her. Anyway, Angela, I was hoping you could monitor her health as she prepares to pilot the Slipstream.” Jack explained, loading yet another thing onto Angela’s already mile-high pile of things to do. “Of course, I’d be happy to do it.” She answered, half meaning it. “Great, I knew I could count on you. I’ll send her your way...What times work for you?” Angela paused, giving it some thought- Genji’s modifications took up the bulk of her time, but a regular check up and monitoring shouldn’t be too time consuming. “I work with Genji most of the time, but just comm me and I’ll be able to answer. It really depends on the day, honestly.” Jack nodded, giving her a curt smile. “Very well, see you later then. Come on, Oxton. I’ll show you around.” Lena nodded, giving Angela a bright smile before following after the strike commander. 

  
  


And so, life got even busier for Angela- But, unlike Genji, Lena was a joy to work with. She was endlessly positive and kind, happily doing whatever Angela needed her to do. And, the doctor found that she left her sessions with Lena in a better mood than when she entered them. The cheerful Brit started hanging out with her Jesse, and Amelie on a semi-regular basis- Her sunshine like demeanor a good counter for Jesse’s dry sarcasm, Amélie’s biting remarks, and Angela’s perpetually tired state. With the three of them by her side, Angela felt grounded and connected and happy, really genuinely happy most of the time. Yes, she was still overworked. Yes, she still pushed herself to the brim. But her three friends were there to cheer her on, or to provide a very nice bottle of wine, or to remind her to eat just as she reminded him not to smoke. Things were looking up for the doctor- She had finally found her people, her network, her pillars. 

However, as it is one to do, life happened. Again and again, life proves to be cruel and uncaring- the world didn't care how warm you were, how brave and kind you were, the world couldn't give a shit if your smile could light up a whole room or that your laugh could make the sun shine. No. Reality hit, and when reality hit Angela, it hit her hard. The test flight for the slipstream was finally upon them, and Angela stood by, smiling as Lena made her grand entrance. She was grinning from ear to ear, confidence in her every move. The uniform they had outfitted her in was a bold blue and orange, Overwatch colors- She wrapped a white scarf around her neck and completed the look with a pair of dark aviators. "Lena Oxton, pilot of the slipstream, at your service!" Lena saluted Jack, but Angela could tell her friend was hardly holding a straight face. Jack, who didn't know the brunette nearly as well, didn't even notice. He saluted Lena then turned to address the crowd. 

"Today marks a huge step in flight technology. If our researchers and engineers tireless work pays off, it will mean that Overwatch will have access to teleporting jets. This way we can get to the scene first and help as many people as possible!" The crowd whooped and cheered. Angela was a little unsure of Jack's motivation, but she did clap for Lena's sake. "Now, none of this would have been even feasible without our brilliant scientists and engineers- But most of all, my thanks goes to Lena Oxton, a very talented young pilot who will, on this very day, be leaving her mark on history. Best of luck, Lena. I know you won't disappoint." With that, the crowd exploded into cheers- Lena beamed and waved at everyone before shaking Jack's hand and heading to the slipstream. 

Everyone watched with bated breath as the jet fired up, Angela's heart leapt into her throat as it took off. But, everyone was still cheering. This was going well! From her place next to the scientist that had been in charge of the slipstream project, Angela heard the go ahead for Lena to test the teleportation matrix. "Roger!" Little did the doctor know how that cheerful, crackling rendition of Lena's voice would come to haunt her. There was a loud booting up sound, things were still going smoothly- But, that never lasts. Nothing good ever lasts. There was a flash of blue light, blinding everyone for a split second- the next thing they all knew? The slipstream was crashing. Lena didn't stop it from happening, she didn't pull up, she didn't eject from her seat...Lena didn't do anything that Angela knew she was totally capable of. So, the slipstream came crashing down onto the runway- Jack rushed to the scene, Angela close behind him. Lena had to be okay, she had to be! But even as the smouldering wreckage was cleared away… the pilot was nowhere to be found. 

Lena Oxton was gone.

It was sunny the day a coffin without a body was lowered into the ground. Sunny funerals always felt so wrong to Angela. Especially this funeral- How could there be anymore sunshine if Lena was dead? When Lena died, why didn't joy die with her? Amélie clasped Angela's hand through the entire service, but the doctor hardly felt reassured. She was so tired and frustrated. If only there had been a body! Angela could have saved her! She knew she would have been able to save Lena! But, she never got the chance. Just as Lena would never get the chance to experience real life...She was just twenty-two when she died. 

The mood inside the base was dreadful- Angela found it completely suffocating just to be there. So, she did what she always did- She totally threw herself into work, hardly stopping to eat or sleep- She just kept on working, as if her life depended on it. The general tone of the base was dark, gloomy. Lena really made a difference to a lot of people. Especially her group of friends, which included a gorilla turned scientist, named Winston. Winston often worked with Lena during prep of the slipstream, and she had really broken him out of his shell...But now? He was more reclusive than ever, confining himself to the lab, running the numbers on the slipstream- Trying to figure out what went wrong. The scientist that had been on charge of the project quit Overwatch in disgrace, leaving everyone else scratching their heads or just trying to move on from the tragedy. 

Tensions were high as well, Jack and Gabriel seemed to be fighting more often than they used to, which was extremely concerning. Jesse was just a whisper of his usual self. Angela was more overworked and sleep deprived than ever before. And one day? Something snapped. Angela was doing a routine check up on Genji's modifications, making sure he was as healthy as he could be. Usually he would just brood and let the doctor do what she needed...But today he was in an extremely foul mood, snapping at Angela every time she dared pose a question. Finally, she snapped back. "Lieber gott! Do you know how lucky you are to be alive right now?! Do you know that you would be fucking dead if we hadn't found you?! You didn't have to become a weapon, Genji! I said you could have somewhat of normal existence, but you chose revenge!" She flared up at him, blue eyes boring into the red tint of his lights. "And now that you have, you won't let me do my job?! What the FUCK do you want with me, Genji?!" 

"I want you to shut up." He growled. "I want you to back off and stop getting in my way. In fact? Maybe you should just die. That seems the appropriate solution to annoying busy bodies. To people who don't listen to anyone else. People who disobey the clan...should just be purged!" His misplaced anger exploded out and he gripped Angela by the neck, lifting her off the ground in the process. Logically, the woman knew how long it usually took for someone to die of strangulation, but Genji was a cyborg. He could crush her windpipe without much effort at all. "Please…." She gasped, tears falling freely down her increasingly red face. "Please….don't...do this...don't...be like….him…" But Genji couldn't hear her over his rage. Angela was going to die at the hands of the man she brought back from death's door. "Go to sleep." Came a calm voice, followed by the sound of something being released via trigger. Next thing, Genji was on the ground, fast asleep- and Angela, heaving for air and hardly conscious, only caught a glimpse of gentle brown eyes and long, black hair before she slipped into the dark confines of oblivion. 

She woke some amount of time later, her head resting on someone's lap as that someone gently pet her head and sang softly. Was that...Arabic? Blue eyes fluttered open to meet Ana Amari. "You're awake. Good." Ana smiled, gingerly moving Angela's head to a pillow so she could get up. "What….happened?" The blonde's voice was hoarse, her throat felt as though it had been on fire. "I was on my way to ask about some medical supplies when I saw Genji squeezing the life out of you. I was glad to have my sleep darts on me since I was able to take the calmer approach, but I was prepared to fight him with my bare hands." Ana sighed, stretching out before wandering over to the dorm's tiny kitchen area. "I'll make you some tea, child. It'll help." Angela just nodded in response. She felt so weak- She felt so drained. So helpless. So hopeless. Ana noticed her lack of audible response and padded back over. Angela looked up at the older woman, eyes full of tears. "Why….? All my life, I just wanted to help people… but, I couldn't help my parents, I couldn't help Lena, I couldn't help Genji… what use...am I?" Ana frowned, putting her hands on Angela's shoulders. "Angela, habibti, you were ten years old when your parents died, there was nothing you could have done for them. As for Lena? Of course you helped her. You took care of her while she was here. Both medically and by being her friend. Her tragic downfall is not to be placed on your shoulders. And Genji? You saved his life- He's not angry with you, not really. He's feeling massive amounts of pain and rage- it doesn't make what he did right, but it also doesn't mean you haven't helped him. And those are just four examples, child." Ana paused, gently wiping Angela's face. "You've saved more people in your young life than most doctors would ever dream of. You're brilliant, and kind, and good. You must not doubt yourself, Angela Ziegler. If not for you, most of us would no longer be here. Now, I wouldn't call that helping no one, would you?" Angela could only shake her head. "Thought not. Rest up for now…" Ana tucked a lock of hair behind Angela's ear before tilting her face up. "Because when you feel better, and you will. I'm going to teach you how to fight back." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry I've been gone for this long. A lot of shit has gone down and my will to write was just nonexistent.   
> I'm finally feeling up to writing again, but it would be irresponsible of me to promise regular updates, because I just don't know what the future holds for my mental state.
> 
> All that being said, thank you for your patience.


	8. Daffodil

_ Daffodil- Unrequited love  _

  
  


Fighting back....Ana meant it literally. Angela never considered learning how to fight...She was a doctor, a surgeon, not a field medic. She waited for those injured to come back to her so she could work on them under the best conditions imaginable. “I don’t know about this, Ana. I took an oath…” Angela muttered, staring at the gym and feeling completely out of her depth as Ana stood before her, the picture of unstated strength and grace. “I know you did, Angela. But sometimes, you have to fight back to make sure you don’t end up dead. I’m sure the rest of the doctors in the world will forgive you for not dying.” The older woman shrugged, too nonchalant about the whole thing. Angela narrowed her eyes. “That isn’t the point, Ana. I don’t believe in violence.” 

“Whether you believe in it or not, violence is out there.” Ana responded, giving the doctor a pointed look. “Genji almost killed you! This is not about learning to fight in order to seek out danger...This is about learning to fight in order to protect yourself and those you care about.” She had a good point- If Angela knew how to defend herself, she could be a field medic...She could go to those in need quickly and efficiently. She could treat the worst of their wounds right there on the battlefield. Angela fell silent for a moment before letting out a long breath and looking back at Ana, resolve in her blue eyes. “Alright, Ana. I’m ready.” The older woman smiled, relief and unspoken pride on her face. “Very well, let us begin.” 

  
  


Ana was one hell of an instructor- She was strict, but explained things well, and would always patiently repeat herself if Angela had a question. The work was hard, and Angela had to find time to do it while being head of medical, and designing a suit she could wear into combat. She usually trained with Ana early in the morning- Around 5 to 7 am, worked in the medbay from 8am to 12 am, worked on her suit from 1 am to 2 am, went to sleep for three hours and repeated the whole thing the next day. Needless to say, Angela continued her not so healthy coping mechanisms, working until her body gave out. Ana was helping her with training and Torbjorn was helping her with the armor, but her plate was still extremely full. Even so, she would rather power through it than have to stop and think about everything that had happened recently. If she stopped working, she would have to internalize Lena’s sudden death, she would have to rationalize her fear of Genji, she would have to acknowledge how fucking sad she was. But Angela Ziegler would never do that. She didn’t want to. She couldn’t. How ironic- Angela would be lecturing someone if they were doing the same things she herself was guilty of. It was different. Totally different. Angela didn’t need to justify herself to anyone- She was head of medicine and medical research at Overwatch! She got her PhD at twenty-three years old! She knew what was healthy and unhealthy down to an exact science- So what if she had a few bad habits? A few sleepless nights? She was still doing the work she needed to do. The good of the team, the good of the world was on her shoulders...Angela could sacrifice herself again and again if it was for the betterment and protection of those who suffered. She was fine, totally fine. 

No one would know. They couldn’t see her fall apart. 

  
  


Day in and day out was exactly as before, until...“Dr. Ziegler!” Ah. Gerard Lacroix...What did he want? He never came to see her unless he was injured. “Yes? What can I help you with?” Angela asked, a hollow smile on her features. “I was hoping I could get some advice, actually. As you know, Amélie and I married some time ago…” Yes, Angela recalled. Despite everything, Amélie went through with the marriage, but she didn’t seem happy. Maybe Gerard had finally caught on. The doctor simply nodded in response to Gerard, prompting him to carry on. “It seems as if she is unhappy. Perhaps I am at fault- I probably work too much for her liking.” Angela fought the urge to snort at that- Probably the few times Amelie was happy was when she was away from Gerard, in reality. She didn’t really hate him, Angela did know that Amélie was fond of Gerard in some ways, but he was insufferable at times, smothering her with affection she didn’t want. He was infatuated with her, but she only married him to keep her family happy. “Amélie is going through a rough time, Gerard. She lost a friend recently. I think she needs some time and space...If you force her, it will only upset her.” Angela offered. Gerard seemed to consider this momentarily- His attention was drawn by Commander Morrison’s sudden appearance. “There you are, Gerard. The flight for Rome will be leaving soon.” Jack informed the other man, giving a nod to Angela when he noticed her. “Ah, right!Désolé, Jack. I’ll be right there.” He then turned back to the doctor, flashing her a gentle smile. “Thank you for being a friend to her, Angela. She deserves good friends like you.” With that, Gerard and Jack left Angela’s office, leaving her alone with a cold cup of coffee, a mountain of work, and her thoughts. A few days later, Amélie herself waltzed into Angela’s office, or rather stood in the doorway, staring at the blonde until she was noticed. Unlucky for the dark haired woman, Angela was totally absorbed in her work and didn’t notice her organically. Amélie exhaled, irritatedly rolling her eyes before gripping the back of Angela’s chair and rolling it away from the desk. “Was zum teufel?!” The doctor exclaimed, finally snapping out of her daze to see Amélie standing there, arms crossed and brow furrowed. “Ah, Amélie...What was that about?” Angela asked, standing from her chair to briefly stretch. “I was trying to get your attention for a few minutes now, nothing was working.” The other woman explained with a shrug. “Sorry, I have a lot on my mind right now.” Angela gave a weak, tired smile to her friend, whose expression softened instantly when she saw the expression. “Angela...You need a break.You can’t keep going on like this!” 

“I’ll be fine, Amélie. I need to keep working.” Angela waved it off, as if it didn’t matter how sleep deprived and depressed she was. And it didn’t matter, really, at least not to her. Amélie’s eyes narrowed at the other, a displeased frown on her face. “You of all people should know you need a break every now and again. Do you think I, as a ballerina, spend all my time dancing? Or training? No. I do dance and train a lot, but it is not all I do.” 

“It’s diff-”   
“Tu es plein de merde! It is not different! My work involves my body...So I work it, then I rest it! Your work is with your mind- So work it, then rest it! Take a night off! Sleep in! Do something for yourself!” Amélie snapped, hands on her hips. “You’re no good to anyone if you work yourself to death! Advocate for yourself, Angela!” At that, Angela’s exhausted mind decided it was angry at Amélie for telling her off- She too snapped. “You have no right to lecture me on advocating for myself, Amélie! You still went and married Gerard despite everything you told me! You still gave up part of your identity for the sake of your family’s reputation! You settled!” Angela pointed an accusing finger at her friend. “You settled for not being Amélie Gulliard, prima ballerina...NO! You settled for being Amélie Lacroix, bride of an esteemed Overwatch officer! Look! Here she is! Gerard Lacroix’s trophy wife!” 

Silence fell over the room as Angela’s words sunk in. Amélie’s eyes watered, her lip trembled. Angela broke from her rage. “Amélie! Oh, gott! I’m sorry- I didn’t mean…” She cut herself off when Amélie raised a hand. The taller woman took a few deep breaths, composing herself. “As hurtful as your words are, Angela. It is true...I did settle. I didn’t advocate for myself, now I am more miserable than ever. I decided that my family’s reputation was more important than my happiness…” Amélie tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she gathered her thoughts. “But! The example should be all the more reason, Angela. Please...For the people who love you, seeing you so exhausted and sad...It’s scary.” Amélie’s voice wavered, and the dam broke- Her tears started to fall freely down her cheeks. “I can’t...I can’t lose you too, Angela...Please.” Angela rushed to her friend, wrapping her arms around the crying woman. “I’m sorry, Amélie.I’m so sorry- I wasn’t considering how the people who love me feel about seeing me like this. I wasn’t considering it at all, I’m sorry. You won’t lose me, Ame. I’m here...I’m right here.” The two embraced for a while, both of them sniffling with quiet tears. Finally,Amélie pulled away to wipe her eyes, prompting Angela to do so as well. “Still, what I said was terrible. How can I make it up for you?” The doctor asked, offering her friend a tissue. Amélie dabbed her eyes a bit, considering the question. “...Come to Paris. Just for a day- We’ll go shopping, we’ll eat pastries, you’ll come see my show, we’ll eat take out in my apartment afterwards. This is the plan- I will not take no for an answer.” Angela opened her mouth to protest, but relented instead. “That sounds wonderful, Amélie. I can’t wait.” 

  
  


And so, Angela went to Paris, finally taking a break for the first time in months. Amélie tried to get Angela to turn off her communicator, the doctor refused since she needed to be reached in case of emergency, but she did promise to only look at it if someone reached out to her, she wouldn't be calling to check up on things- An excuse to work, Amélie insisted. Despite her initial stress of not being at work and therefore unable to help anyone, Angela had a lot of fun with her friend. She ate way too many sweets at the various shops ( amélie bought some to eat later. She had a recital that night so she didn't want to eat anything that would upset her stomach), she spent too much money on clothes she would seldom wear, she let Amélie convince her to get a haircut- her blonde tresses that once reached the small of her back now fell to her shoulders...It did feel much lighter. Angela and Amélie had fun for the first time since Lena died- it was what they needed. Eventually, Amélie had to leave to get ready, leaving Angela in her apartment until a car came to take her to the ballet. The doctor stared at her reflection for a few minutes- She saw how the bags under her dull blue eyes aged her, she saw how pale her skin was due to always being inside (she was normally pale, but this wasn't a healthy complexion), she saw how her cheeks were slightly sunken due to her unbalanced diet. "No wonder everyone walks on eggshells these days...I look like I might break apart any moment." Angela grumbled, getting to work on her makeup. Once she had finished her face, she pulled on a new dress Amélie insisted she get for her- Apparently this show was really special, and everyone was supposed to show up in their best, so the plain white dress Angela initially brought for the occasion simply wouldn't do. The dress Amélie bought was floor length, a slit up the right side, the sleeves were off the shoulder and adorned with tiny,dangling pearls- The garment was a soft, powdery blue, bringing out the light in Angela's eyes. She hardly recognized herself when she looked into the mirror again. "I suppose, every once in a while, this is okay." The blonde smiled softly, giving herself one more once over before leaving Amélie's flat and abandoning into the car called for her. 

The theatre procured for the event was breathtaking- Old world art preserved throughout time, marble floors and a glittering ceiling that resembled stars- Angela felt so far removed from her comfort zone, but reminded herself she was here for Amélie- the setting wouldn't matter once the show began. The doctor took her seat as fast as she could, not really wanting to linger in the lobby and possibly mingle with people from a world she knew nothing about. Soon enough, the show started and Angela gave her full attention to the stage. If you asked her in years to come what the show was about, Angela wouldn't be able to answer. She was too enraptured by Amélie's commanding stage presence to even notice anyone else. The dancer was so skilled, her movements so precise- you could feel all her emotions when you watched her. Angela wiped a few tears away- Her friend really came to life on stage...No matter what happened in the future, this was the way she would remember Amélie Lacroix. 

  
  


After the show, Angela stood awkwardly by, waiting for the crowd around Amélie to disperse, letting her friend out. Eventually, the two made it back to the flat, and after changing into way more comfortable clothes, they settled on the couch with some wine and some takeout. They talked a lot that night. Some of it good, some of it bad...All of it necessary. At some point, Amélie made Angela laugh until she cried...But she didn't stop crying. She wept into the crook of her friend's neck as soothing circles were being traced on her back. The blonde fell asleep, cradled in Amélie's arms...For once, she felt at peace. 

But, as all things in Angela's life, the good times didn't last. She woke the next morning to an emergency call from Strike Commander, Jack Morrison. "Angela, we need you at headquarters immediately! There's been an attack on the base in Rome!" 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii- I'm really bad at finishing chapters in a timely manner!  
> Anywaaaaay  
> Daffodil is Gerard's flower, it never changed when it was supposed to, meaning his love was always doomed to be unrequited
> 
> Tu es plein de merde! = you are full of shit!   
> At least that's what it means according to Google. Idk i don't speak French


	9. Cyclamen

_Cyclamen- Resignation_

Rialto was an unmitigated disaster. The aftermath of the attack of the base in Rome was some of the darkest days Overwatch had seen in a long time. A lot of people died during the bombing of the Roman base, Angela remembers how long that day was- Trying to patch up everyone who survived the initial blast, but knowing there were so many others lost. Gerard Lacroix was badly injured, but survived much like he survived all of Talon’s attempts on his life- But there were many who weren’t so lucky. Gabriel and Jesse had both been there, but as serendipity would have it, neither were injured. But Gabriel was tense, downtrodden. He sat beside Gerard’s bed with an unreadable expression despite all the times Angela said he would make a full recovery. He was going to do something, but the doctor could never begin to guess what that thing turned out to be. She went to bed that night, none the wiser of the disaster that was taking place in Venice as she slept soundly.

The morning brought something else entirely- Angela had a rather rude awakening by Jack Morrison telling her she was needed in the medbay at 0400 hours. She complied but was confused about what could have been so urgant. Of all the things she was imagining, she did not expect to see three people she already knew to be Blackwatch and one person she thought had been /very/ publicly fired. “Gabriel...What is Moira O’Deorain doing in my medbay?” The doctor glanced at a very tired looking Reyes, who gave a weak shrug in reply. “Sorry, Angie. I’ll explain later..Promise.” Angela exhaled, approaching Moira cautiously- The woman looked more disheveled than Angela had ever seen her, which was saying a lot, given their sordid past. “This isn’t necessary. I’m not badly injured.” Moira didn’t even look at Angela, which the blonde actually preferred. She didn’t need those unsettling eyes on her. “I’ll be the judge of that.” Angela kept an even tone of voice as she examined the older woman. She was more injured than she let on. Typical. She was far too proud to admit that she needed help, especially from Angela. “You have a broken rib and several open wounds- I wouldn’t call that ‘not badly injured’.” Angela sighed, calling over another one of the doctors who worked under her. “She shouldn’t take long using the nanites. I have to turn my attention to the others.” The doctor, a young Danish woman, nodded and began her work on Moira. Only after Angela turned her back did she feel those mismatched eyes on her. No matter- She had work to do. Moving onto Mcree, who suffered a little more than Moira had but still not looking as bad as Gabriel or Genji, which wasn’t surprising considering how he fought- Longer range than both the other men. His injuries included several bullet wounds, some slashes across his torso, though nothing terribly deep. Rather than his injuries, Jesse seemed deeply shaken up about the whole affair. Angela regarded her friend with concern in her blue eyes- He met her gaze and just shook his head. “Later...Okay?” “Okay…” She lingered for one more moment before delegating to another doctor- She knew she would have to give her full attention to Genji, as she was truly the only one who understood how to work with him. Gabriel was next and looked even more exhausted than Jesse had. “You look like shit.” She deadpanned, trying to lighten his mood a bit. It worked, a little. He snorted and ran a hand over his nearly non-existent hair. “Thank you, it took a lot of work to look this bad.” Angela rolled her eyes at his response then got to work. Similar to Jesse, Gabriel had lacerations over his chest, a few more bullet wounds, some bruising everywhere, some fresh scars on his face, general fatigue. She motioned to a third doctor, who began working right away. She was right, Genji needed the most work, not because he was the most injured, but because his body was so different. He was silent as she worked, not because of anything having to do with the norm...But because he seemed happy to have been in battle, that some of those pent up emotions- grief, anger, vengeance - they were able to be expelled, at least for a little while. Angela was mixed on the whole thing. It was good he was exhibiting something other than negativity for once but he also shouldn't just be happy when he was able to fight and, presumably, imagine his brother's face as he took the lives of others.

All four patients were kept in medbay for the whole morning and into the afternoon. Angela released Moira back into whatever crevice she crawled out from, told Jesse he could leave whenever- he chose to stay and sleep, relinquished Gabriel to Jack, knowing he had a really tough talk coming for him. Genji also remained, but it was because Angela still had to repair some of his augmentations. At some point in the process, Mccree got up and walked out without so much of a word, leaving Angela alone with Genji. She was still a little apprehensive around him, far more jumpy than she should be. He remained silent, stoic, made no indication of moving as she worked, which served to ease her a little bit. Soon enough, he left as well, still silent as he had been the whole examination, leaving Angela alone with her thoughts. “What the hell happened…” She grumbled, picking up her mug of coffee, which was ice cold after hours of being ignored. “Ugh-” The doctor groaned, her nose wrinkling at the bitter, inappropriately cold beverage. Time for a new cup. Instead of brewing a new pot in the office, Angela decided to venture out into the base, as she had been holed up nearly the whole day. As she lumbered through the halls, mug in her tired hands, the tension around base was palpable. Everyone was whispering amongst themselves, spreading rumor's and prodding where they had no business. Some had the decency to stop their hearsay and look sheepish as the head of medical walked by, being sure her tired blue eyes caught theirs. Angela entered the commissary after a few moments of walking, finding it nearly empty- The only souls still lingering were a few on the legal team, some of her nurses and fellow doctors, an unsurprising sight in Jesse- nursing what she assumed was not his first glass of whiskey, and a very unexpected appearance by Winston! Angela had hardly laid eyes on the gorilla since Lena’s disappearance, as his workaholic nature rivaled her own and he scarcely left his lab. “Winston, it’s good to see you.” The blonde approached him with a soft smile as he lowered a third jar of peanut butter from the shelf. “Ah- Doctor Ziegler!” He adjusted his ever present glasses with a sheepish look. “I, erm, I know it’s been a while...Been working on something and it requires a lot of attention.” He explained, fiddling with the jar in his hand. Angela nodded sagely, knowing the experience far too well. “It would be hypocritical of me to say to halt in your research, but do make sure to take care of yourself. Are you experiencing any complications with your genetic therapy?” She prodded, ever the medical professional. “Other than a crippling addiction to peanut butter?” Winston countered with a laugh, which seemed to shock himself- Angela guessed he hadn’t laughed in a while. “I’m alright, Angela, really. Just busy.” The scientist gave her a tired, toothy smile. “I understand, Winston. I’ll leave you to it.” Angela responded, giving her friend a pat on the arm before, finally, making her way to the coffee machine. Winston ambled out of the commissary not long after, sparing Angela one last look before locking himself away once more.

Once her coffee was done brewing, the doctor slid into the seat next to Jesse, giving him a smile as she did so. He did not smile back, but he did tip his hat to her. “Long day, Jesse?” She asked, gesturing at the mostly drunk bottle beside him. “Y’could say that.” He answered with a shrug, brown eyes never leaving the amber liquid in his glass. They both took a long sip of their respective beverages simultaneously and fell into a silence afterwards. Jesse, surprisingly, was the one to break it. “We weren’t- Gabe...Gabe didn’t wanna kill ‘im. He fully intended on letting Bartaloti walk outta there with his life.” He began explaining, Angela listened with full attention- Wanting to know what the hell went on. “When we were first assigned, I kinda liked the idea of popping that miserable son of a bitch fulla lead. Gabe talked a big game about needin’ to bring ‘im to justice. Have him tried for his crimes. But when we got there…” Jesse paused, sneering into his glass. “Bastard was smug as all hell. Kept on goading Gabe with the fact that even if we took ‘im, he wouldn’t have had to answer fer shit. Gabe admitted he was right, shot ‘im point blank, sent the shithead tumblin’ out the window.” Angela’s eyebrows knit with shock, no wonder Gabe was in such deep shit. He was supposed to apprehend but instead he assassinated someone most people thought to be a respectable businessman. “Hell broke open after that- There were so many Talon operatives there, it was like they mobilized a whole army to stop four people from leavin’. There were surprising ones, too, not the usual grunts. It felt like...They were modified? Maybe they were omnics or somethin’...Different. It was real strange, I’ll tell ya that much. Can’t really describe it, don’t really have the words to do so.” Jesse stopped, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally looking at Angela. “I’m sorry about Moira, I shoulda warned you that Gabe hired her. Slipped my mind, honestly. It was secret, obviously, Gabe didn’t want people knowing he brought her in. But you deserved to know.” Angela let go of a breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding and put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “I appreciate that, Jesse. And yes, a warning would have been nice before I saw her stupid face in my medbay, but I understand things like that having to be under wraps.” The cowboy gave a snort in response. “Thing is a good way to describe her. She seemed so...Unbothered by the whole thing. She had a, I hesitate to call it bored but I guess it was-a bored, uninterested expression the whole damn time.”

“That doesn’t surprise me, to be honest. Moira is a lot of things and being a prick with a superiority complex and an indifference to anything that isn’t her work is most of those things.” Angela shrugged before taking another long sip of coffee. That drew a laugh out of Jesse, which pleased the doctor as she had been concerned for her friend. “How is Gabe?” She finally asked, almost afraid of the answer. Mccree’s smile faded and he drained his glass before responding. “Don’t really know, frankly. He was in meetings with Jack and Ana all day, bein chewed out for bein irresponsible, reckless, just out for revenge...Gerard was in those meetings too, though what he contributed I can’t be too sure of.” Angela gave an exasperated sigh, standing up before giving Jesse’s shoulder a squeeze. “I see. Well, take care of yourself and brace for the incoming storm. And do try and get some rest, okay? You need it.”

“Right back attcha, doc.”

Angela decided to take her own advice for once and tried to relax for the night, god knows the shit was flying towards the fan at mach speed- And if the palpable tension wasn’t bad enough, the fallout of Gabe’s mistakes were sure to make things infinitely more complicated for everyone. After a long soak, Angela fell into her bed with a grunt, the pressure of the day finally off her feet. She scarcely closed her eyes before her comm went off. Great. What did Jack need now? Cursing in German, the doctor snatched her comm from the bedside table and responded with a grumpy- “Ziegler.” The responding voice was an unexpected one. “Ah D, doctor Ziegler...Sorry to bother you so late but I needed some help, I have someone here who really needs to be checked out as soon as possible, I can bring them to the medbay but it really is quite urgent and imperative-” “Winston, please slow down! What is going on!” Angela had sat up by this point, already pulling up some pants to wear under her nightshirt before making a beeline for her lab coat. “S-sorry.” Winston took some deep breaths, regaining his composure. “A result of the experiment I’ve been working on. Please do hurry, Angela.” He hung up with no more explanation, but by that time Angela was already out of her room and speed walking down the corridors back to the medbay. Once arriving, the blonde did indeed see Winston- And sitting on a bed next to him was a small, thin woman with crazy brown hair and the biggest brown eyes, clutching a strange device to her chest. Lena Oxton. It was Lena Oxton. There she was! Right there! Alive and in the medbay! Angela approached with wide, watering eyes. “L...Lena?” She whispered, alerting the Brit to her presence. “Angie!” The younger woman flung herself at Angela, knocking her off her feet and the two fell to the ground in a fit of confused giggling and sobbing. And for the first time in a long time, things were okay again.

But, of course, they did not stay that way. Yes Lena was back, but Blackwatch had been outed. The rumored illegal arm of Overwatch was more than just a myth, it was fact. Which meant Overwatch had seemingly sanctioned the execution of a powerful businessman. And, what was worse was that disgraced geneticist Moira O’Deorain had been working for them...and even worse news was to follow. Of course. When life hits Angela...It hits hard.

Amélie Lacroix was missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI I'M BACK  
> It's taken me a million years to write this and I'm so sorry for dropping off the face of the earth! Thank you for your patience!


	10. Zinnia

_ Zinnia- Thoughts of lost friends  _

  
  
  


Chaos was the only word for life at the Swiss HQ of Overwatch. The aftermath of the Rialto incident was catastrophic, tensions between Reyes and Morrison were at an all time high, there was civil unrest amongst Omnics, and Amélie Lacroix was missing. Missing, not like Lena had been- Lena had suffered from something Winston called Chronal disassociation and the only way to keep her anchored to the present was with the device he made, the Chronal accelerator. Lena described it as falling through time, flitting in and out as little more than a ghost. It had been described as soul crushing and lonely, but Lena did not stop smiling, as if she feared she would break if she tried to face her real feelings. At least, that's what she told Angela. Winston was a little more honest with his fellow scientist. "She's terrified, Angela. And she's tired- My fault, I will admit. I keep running tests to make sure she doesn't get lost again." He confided in her, guilt and anxiety heavy on his shoulders. Angela did her best to be there for both him and Lena, and doing so honestly served as a much needed distraction from Amélie's sudden disappearance. Gerard was a wreck, Angela had never seen him in such a state, which was odd as he was constantly attacked by Talon, though he thwarted them at every turn. He looked as he hardly slept, his usual suave, clean, and polished way of presenting himself had been tossed aside, leaving only a concerned, sleep deprived, nervous wreck. Angela did her best for him as well, and though they weren't close, Gerard knew he could confide in her since she was Amélie's closest friend. 

"I know, Angela, I know she will never truly love me." He confessed to the doctor after one too many glasses of wine. Gerard glanced at the soulmark flower on his wrist, brown eyes filled with sorrow. "I am doomed to have love, unrequited. God has deemed me unworthy of romantic love, it would seem. I love Amélie more than life itself...But she doesn't feel the same. I know she doesn't." Angela tried to interject, but what would she say? He was right. Amélie had discussed it with her on multiple occasions. And so, she kept her mouth shut, allowing Gerard to continue. "She would be much happier with her soulmate...And if she were with them, she wouldn't have been dragged into a life she does not deserve. Constantly on edge because I'm always getting hurt, having to answer countless questions about being married to an Overwatch elite. And now, worst of all, kidnapped and probably being tortured for information she doesn't have." Gerard held back a strangled sob. "She would have an uncomplicated,safe, and happy life if I hadn't forced her to be with me… I exploited the fact her parents wanted her to marry to continue to elevate their status." He explained, wiping his eyes. Angela's eyes narrowed, silently cursing Amélie's parents for not bothering with what their daughter wanted. Still, she allowed Gerard to continue. "I saw her perform before we met. I instantly fell for her...She just comes alive on stage, you know?" Angela nodded. She did know. "I nearly made her give it up because I wanted a family. We fought about it a lot." Gerard laughed, but it lacked any humor. "I would take it all back, I would annul our marriage even...If only she were safe." More tears followed and Angela found herself comforting Gerard for most of the night, once again ignoring her own grieving process. As always, the needs of others came before hers- It was alright. She would be fine. Just as always. 

Weeks of crippling doubts, intense raids, unending searches finally yielded results! For the first time since Lena had returned, there was good news! Amélie had been found by Blackwatch. Jesse carried her into the medbay, Gerard close on his spurred heels. "She's in a bad way, doc. Real shaken up." Jesse warned her, gingerly placing Amélie on a bed. "Thank you, Jesse." Angela smiled briefly at her friend, who tipped his hat and wandered out of the medbay- Leaving the doctor to get on with her work. Her heart ached, seeing her closest friend in such a state. Amélie's gorgeous, silky hair was knotted and matted with blood- her thin,yet lithe, form- seemed gaunt and malnourished. Her gentle brown eyes seemed more yellow, and the bags under them were undeniable. "Oh Amélie…" Angela breathed, softly placing her hand on the other woman's cheek. "What have they done to you?" 

"What didn't they do is the real question." Amélie's response was hardly audible, and lacked the usual bite a response like that would have. She seemed...empty. "I'll have to run some tests over the next few days and really work it out." Angela mused, eyes flitting up and down her friend's weathered body. Only then did Amélie stir at all. She grabbed Angela's hand, desperation alight in her tired eyes. "Please, Angela! Please, I'm begging you to allow me to sleep in my own bed tonight. It's been weeks, months- If you have any love for me...you will let me do this." Amélie pleaded, tugging Angela's heartstrings. 

"It might not be safe…"The doctor started. "I really have to scan your body for any possible toxins or…" Amélie's dejected look crushed Angela. And so, she said something she would come to regret in the not so distant future. "...Very well, Amélie. You may go home for tonight. You have to be back here tomorrow morning, okay? Promise me." Amélie nodded, giving Angela her usual brilliant smile. "I promise. Thank you, mon ami. I will see you tomorrow." And those words would come to echo in Angela's mind for years to come. Just as she so recalled her father's final words to her, the last message of Amélie Guillard Lacroix would haunt her. Because, as we have come to learn, life hits hard. Amélie couldn't keep her promise. She had been reported as missing once again- Presumed dead, after the discovery of the poorly decomposing corpse of Gerard Lacroix. 

Overwatch as an organization hardly had time to grieve- Soldiers died all the time, countless people had given their lives to service. Gerard's funeral was the standard Overwatch affair. People gave speeches, a flag was laid over his casket, there was some crying. Angela felt numb. She wasn't close to Gerard but she certainly didn't want him dead- No...her pain came from the empty casket of Amélie. No body was discovered, so the tiniest bit of hope resonated through Angela's being. However, the feeling was that and nothing more- There was no way Talon let Amélie go again. They probably killed her and hid the body where it would never be found, just to torture the people who loved her. The grieving process was once again cut short for Angela- There was always a new crisis to deal with, after all. 

This crisis came in the form of an omnic extremist group in London, known only as Null Sector. They had kidnapped several politicians including the mayor of London as well as Tekhartha Mondatta- A Shimbali omnic who preached peace and advocated unity. They weren’t supposed to get involved, at least according to Jack. Ana seemed to want to press towards involvement, Gabriel was very laissez-faire approach to the whole thing. After the Venice incident and Gerard’s sudden death, the Blackwatch commander had been more distant and emotionally unavailable than ever. He still smiled at Angela in that way he did since their first meeting when she was seventeen...But otherwise, he was very aloof. Jack seemed adamant about not getting involved in London, but Lena changed his mind. It surprised Angela, such a feat was somewhat unheard of, as the strike commander could be very uncompromising. And so, it was decided that four of them would be deployed to London- Reinhardt in charge, Torbjorn- as his inventions were going to be instrumental in the disabling of Null Sector forces, Angela for medical support, and the newest official member of Overwatch- Lena Oxton. Yes, Lena had been employed by Overwatch as a pilot, but never actually a member until now. As a pilot, her rank had been much higher...But as she was new to the field she was demoted to cadet. Lena didn’t seem to mind it though, and she even laughed about it on the flight to London. The scene on the ground was horrible- It called to mind the early days of Angela’s childhood, seeing all the omnics everywhere. It was even worse for Reinhardt, who had spent most of his life fighting omnics and lost most of the Crusaders to the crisis, and Torbjorn, who not only fought omnics but had a hand in creating some of the worst killing machines known to man. For Lena it was difficult as London was her home, though she hadn’t been back in a long time. It was a hard fight, not that Angela was expecting any different, but they pulled through. Null Sector was fought back, the hostages were freed, and relative peace was restored to London. For one member, the mission was even more of a success! The team had stuck around for a little while, mostly for Angela to treat anyone who had gotten injured during their time as hostages. One such person was a redheaded Irish girl, with crazy freckles and bright hazel eyes- and while very grateful to Angela, her attention was clearly on Lena, who she kept stealing glances at. Angela asked about it, intent on teasing the girl a bit- One of the ways to diffuse tension. The girl, or rather, the young lady- blushed, tearing her gaze from the brunette. “I! Erm, I just...I’m curious about something. Do you happen to know her soulmark?” Angela’s head tilted at the question. “Herm...White jasmine, I believe. Why? What’s yours?” The redhead, Emily- as Angela soon found out, blushed more, an excited smile reaching her lips when she heard what Lena’s flower was. “Coreopsis…” Coreopsis, a small yellow flower that symbolizes constant cheerfulness. Lena’s perfect match. A sly smile crossed the doctor’s face as she stood, keen on moving on to the next patient. “Lena! Will you come here please? This young lady would like a word~” 

A flicker of joy, a brief moment of triumph. Always to be dashed away. Always to be squashed. Happiness did not last in such an uncaring world. There was a mission, nothing out of the ordinary. It was a few months after the London uprising and was somehow important enough that both the Strike commander and the second in command were called to action. Jack hardly ever went on missions anymore, so it must have been something truly important. Angela caught Gabriel pacing that day, dark eyes lost in thought. When she tried to pry all she got was a cryptic “Got a bad feeling.” Well, his feeling turned to be on the nose. Not only were several members of the mission’s team shot down, but Ana Amari was dead. 

  
  
Ana had long seemed infallible to Angela. She always kept her head, always appeared strong and caring, despite being strict. How could such a woman be gone? How could the second in command of Overwatch be dead when it was /Ana Amari/? There was no corpse. Why was there never any body to bury?! Why wasn’t there a body to examine or a life to save?! Why was Angela always too late? How could Ana be dead? Just months after the deaths of Gerard and Amélie! The doctor fell to despair- Truly falling apart over a death for the first time since her parents died. Where was the hope now? Everything was in pieces.    
  
  
Only ruin waited for them now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI. So, this chapter got H E A V Y. Also I know it's a little all over the place- But most of these events can't fill a whole chapter on their own, so it's easier to throw a lot together at once. This one was hard to write and it took me a while to get past the first paragraph since I honestly didn't know where it was going to go. I had a few ideas for these particular events, but not many. Most of my creative speculation comes from fall of overwatch to recall and beyond. So, please bear with me as I amble towards the fall of overwatch! Next chapter will finally feature some new faces- though not so new as one has been mentioned before. ANYWAY! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	11. Lotus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Chapter contains allusions to sex! It's nothing terribly graphic, but there are certainly implications.

_ Lotus- Purity, symmetry  _

  
  
  


There were things in life people would never fully understand, even when faced by those realities again and again- Angela was an orphan at the age of ten, she was a doctor, a field medic- Obviously she was no stranger to death. So why was Ana’s sudden passing so earth shattering? It rained the day they laid Ana Amari to rest, lowering an empty casket into freshly dug earth. As per her faith, which was important to her even though she did not practice regularly, Ana’s casket was laid towards Mecca and there was someone of the faith to say a prayer over the empty burial. Angela’s eyes flitted between her friends and coworkers- Jack was almost crying, almost. He seemed older than just days prior. Gabriel was similarly grim, but had his eyes steeled and he remained guarded. Reinhardt was inconsolable- He had lost his soulmate, a part of him had died with her. Jesse’s hat covered his eyes, but Angela knew he was crying from the way his shoulders shook. Finally, Angela caught sight of Fareeha Amari. 

It had been many years since Fareeha was last on base, as her and Ana had a massive fight, leading to the younger woman cutting her mother off. Angela was shocked how just a few years had changed Fareeha. She stood tall and proud, the formal uniform of the Egyptian military was worn well on her strong form. Her black hair was immaculate besides the few golden beads hanging in dark locks- A staple from her younger years, Angela remembers sitting with her and Ana as the elder lovingly coaxed the beads into her daughter’s hair. Fareeha’s expression was unreadable through the entire service, even when she was called to shovel some dirt onto her mother’s vacant casket. After the service, many lingered on base, consoling each other as they had all lost someone irreplaceable. Angela found Reinhardt first, who was sitting in a corner, lifeless eyes on the place Ana’s soul flower used to be. The doctor placed a hand on his massive shoulder, concern on her features as he looked up at her. “How are you holding up, Reinhardt?” She asked, knowing full well that the answer would not be a good one. “It feels as if a piece of my heart has been ripped out.” Reinhardt responded, his normally loud and jovial voice hardly reaching a despondent whisper. “I wish I had disregarded her marriage as she wanted to. We could have had so much more time…” He breathed, tears falling freely from his remaining eye. Angela knew nothing she said would make this hurt go away, so she simply hugged him and whispered- “Alles ist gut...Alles ist gut…” It was all she could do. Eventually, Reinhardt stood and gave Angela a weak smile as he made his escape, not wanting to remain in anyone’s company. Afterwards, the doctor found herself just wandering the room, not keen on talking to anyone else...Except- 

“Your mother was a hero to me, to all of us.” Winston’s voice carried and it became very clear who he was talking to. Fareeha gave a smile but could not keep the bitterness out of her voice. “You probably knew her better than me.” Angela could see Winston falter and hardly make out a rushed apology before he ambled away. Jack approached Fareeha next, offering his condolences...And, something else. “I think your mother would be proud of you.” This time, Fareeha didn’t bother to smile- Her brown eyes were darkened and the grip on her drink tightened. “You didn’t know my mother very well then.” Her voice was dripping with resentment, leaving Jack obviously floored by the response. He excused himself from her as well. Fareeha sighed, shoulders dropping- Angela caught her absconding to the balcony, eyes trained on the sky. “Your mother always hoped you’d follow in her footsteps.” The doctor commented, following the other woman out into the crisp Swiss air. Fareeha snorted. “Really? Funny. She never mentioned that to me.” Her tone was flat and she followed her bitter statement with a long sip of her drink. She glanced at Angela, who was obviously unimpressed by her behavior. Fareeha had the decency to look a little ashamed. “Sorry, doctor. I suppose the news was very sudden...I haven’t really had the time to sort through everything I’m feeling.” The solder confessed, the look in her eyes softening a bit. Angela nodded, giving Fareeha a pat on her shoulder...Since when was she so tall? She used to hardly come up to the doctor’s chest. “I understand. We all process grief in different ways. It’s okay to be angry, it’s okay to miss her…” 

“I don’t know if I miss her yet, Doctor Ziegler. I have so much...Resentment.” Fareeha admitted, a furrow in her brow. “I have so much regret. I want to scold her for being so stubborn, I want to tell her I love her, I want to scream that I hate her. I...I want to hear her say that she’s proud of me.” The woman whispered the last part, eyes towards the sky as Angela heard the crack in her voice. “But she can’t. She’s gone and she died thinking that I hate her. She went and fucking died without us reconciling- And so now what?” Fareeha finally looked at Angela, tears trailing down her cheeks. “I have to go on pretending that she was perfect? That she was every bit the infallible hero people claim she is?! She was a person! She was my mother! And now she’s gone...And I’m all that people have left of her.” Angela wanted to interject, to say that Fareeha had every right to feel what she was feeling, but the other continued. “If I am honest about our relationship, people will just call me a bitter, ungrateful child. They’ll accuse me of sullying her legacy.”   
“That’s not fair…” Angela managed, causing Fareeha to snort and shake her head. “No, no it’s not fair. But it is life.” She spat out, once again filled with anger and bitterness. Angela was at a loss, Fareeha was going through something very hard and very complicated- Angela couldn't really understand that perspective. Sure, both her parents had died long ago, but Angela had no regrets about her last words to them, their relationship hadn't been fractured. Fareeha's relationship with Ana was something totally different, and now Fareeha would never get the closure she needed. "Ah...I- I'm sorry, doctor Ziegler. You lost her too and here I am monopolizing the grieving time." Fareeha laughed out after a few moments, but it lacked any humor. "Fareeha, while I appreciate that, she was your mother. You're more than entitled to monopolize the grieving time. Besides, it's not a set amount of time for everyone. We all go at our own paces when it comes to processing grief." Angela gave the other woman a soft smile, gently giving her arm a squeeze. "I suppose you're right." Fareeha murmured.

"Suppose? I'm doctor Angela Ziegler, of course I'm right." The blonde responded, grinning. This made Fareeha laugh, like actually laugh. "Right, my mistake! I humbly seek your forgiveness, oh wise Dr.Ziegler." The shift in Fareeha's tone was promising, sometimes distractions were good, especially when one had so much to think and feel about. "I will forgive you this once." Angela responded, holding up one finger for emphasis. "Be sure not to repeat such an egregious error in the future, hm?" She foux intimidated, unable to keep the smile off her face. Fareeha could also hardly keep herself from giggling as she finally managed a "I'll do my best." It was a strange, silly thing- But that's sometimes just what the heart needed. "Hey, Fareeha…Want to go to my room? You can escape all the people who want to give you condolences and talk about how wonderful Ana was." Angela offered after a few moments of comfortable silence. "Honestly? That sounds great, thank you Dr.Ziegler." Fareeha smiled, some relief in her brown eyes. "Angela." The blonde corrected, taking the other's hand to lead her away. "Angela." Fareeha repeated, and the small flush on her cheeks did not escape the doctor. 

The two absconded with relative ease, breathing a collective sigh of relief once they reached Angela's quarters. "Thanks for the assist, Angela. I really do appreciate it." Fareeha's smile was tired but genuine. "Of course. Want coffee? Water? Booze?" She didn't mention tea very much on purpose, as it was Ana's beverage of choice. "I don't want to be all that much longer, so water would be nice." Fareeha responded, removing her dress shoes and shrugging off her jacket with a grunt of relief. Good, Angela was glad she was making herself more comfortable. As Angela fetched two glasses of water, the other woman continued to dress down until she only remained in her slacks and shirt, which had been unbuttoned to reveal a white tank top. “Hope you don’t mind me getting so comfortable, Angela. It’s just that the uniform is so stiff.” Fareeha smiled nervously, a small flush once again on her cheeks. “Oh, no- I understand. It’s totally fine, Fareeha.” Angela waved it off, taking care not to let her eyes linger on the other woman’s body for too long. Yes. Fareeha was incredibly attractive- But! She just lost her mother! Totally inappropriate time to thirst over someone who you saw as a gangly teenager just years ago. Shaking off the thought of making a move on a woman who just went through a huge tragedy, Angela slipped off her heels before joining Fareeha on the couch with a sigh. The two sat in comfortable silence, sipping their waters without much sound between them. It was, surprisingly enough, Fareeha who broke the silence. "She always sent me tea leaves. I don't usually have the time to brew tea the way she did, so I have a stockpile that she sent. Just sitting at home." She informed Angela, a far off look in her brown eyes. "Even when we weren't talking, she still sent me those tea leaves." A quiet chuckle escaped the younger woman. "She really loved you, Fareeha. Ana would always talk so highly of you, even when you weren't speaking to her." Angela talked gently, hoping it wasn't too much for Fareeha to take. "Yeah. I loved her too...So much. People on base say that I'm like her, but I don't see it. It's okay though, just being compared to such a great woman is an honor." Fareeha insisted, but it concerned Angela. "You know…" she began, taking a hold of one of Fareeha's hands. "It is an honor, but please make sure not to make it a burden as well. You possess many of the same wonderful qualities Ana did, but also different ones. You're a totally unique person, with your own strength and morals and values. Same roots, but every tree's branches are different." The blonde smiled, giving Fareeha's hand a little squeeze. The other woman smiled back, face flushed. "I...I'm not sure what to say to that other than thank you, so...thank you, Angela. It really means a lot to me for you to say all that." 

“Of course, Fareeha. I meant every word and thensome…” Angela whispered, opening her arms up, inviting the other woman in. Fareeha hesitated only for a moment but then all but melted into Angela’s embrace, a sigh escaping her. They stayed like that for an indiscriminate amount of time, just silently grieving in a comfortable and silent place. And for that undetermined amount of time, they knew peace. 

Who could really take credit for what happened next? Neither of them actually knew who initiated the kiss once they stopped hugging, it didn’t really matter. All they were aware of was their mouths and hands desperately seeking each other, wanting- /needing/ to be close. Fareeha smelled of cinnamon and jasmine, she tasted of the brandy she’d been drinking earlier. A subtle sweetness with a touch of oaky flavor dancing on her tongue. Angela was intoxicated by all of it- Fareeha was strong and warm, she was safe. They eventually moved to the bed, the younger woman effortlessly carrying Angela to her bed, gingerly placing her on the mattress before climbing over her. The woman glanced at each other, brown and blue eyes seeking affirmation and clarity. It was found, and their lips once again met. Fareeha was attentive, yet a little unsure. Her eyes would flicker in silent questions, but Angela didn’t mind at all. It was sweet, endearing even. And while unsure, it didn’t mean Fareeha wasn’t skilled- Pleasure washed over Angela as she felt the other woman’s calloused hands roaming over her skin, as strong arms were wrapped around her, securing her. Angela hungrily let her hands roam Fareeha’s strong form, drinking in her perfect skin and her muscle defined lines and curves. The woman both found restful sleep that night, secure in each other’s arms. 

When Angela awoke, she was greeted with Fareeha’s strong back, her silky black hair messy, which made Angela giggle- As the woman was so well put together the day before. She gingerly moved the dark locks, revealing a soulmark. The doctor’s breath hitched- Right. Fareeha wasn’t her soulmate, wasn’t marked for her. Of course there was no azalea between the younger’s shoulder blades, and a rose didn’t suit a woman like Fareeha. What Angela found instead was a perfect white lotus, a stark, beautiful contrast to the other’s caramel, sunkissed skin. Angela bit her lip, filled with envy for the person who owned this flower- She so desperately wanted Fareeha to be hers. Fareeha was sturdy and strong, yet kind and gentle. She was funny, determined, and beautiful. Angela felt safe with Fareeha- But it wasn’t to be. Sooner or later, Fareeha would find the owner of this lotus and want to be with them. It was for the best, anyway. The blonde sighed, carefully getting out of bed, not wanting to disturb the slumbering woman from her much needed rest. With one last, pining look at Fareeha’s sleeping form, Angela left her quarters to round up some breakfast for herself as well as the other woman. She dodged her coworkers, only managing a good morning if they initiated communication. Anyone she would actually be willing to speak to had not shown themselves since Ana’s service, so it was easy to grab what she wanted and abscond back to her room. When she arrived, she found Fareeha was up and dressed, brushing through her bed head with her fingers. “Morning.” She smiled shyly. Angela smiled back, setting the goods on the small table in her kitchenette. “Good morning, Fareeha. I hope you slept well.”    
“I did, thank you.” The other woman commented, sliding into a seat. They ate in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, it was simply that they didn’t have anything to say. Angela broke the silence this time. “When are you leaving?” Fareeha looked up from her mug and lowered it from her mouth before speaking. “Later today. I have a flight at four.” The blonde’s eyes brow knit with concern. “Going back to base so soon? Fareeha, you need more time.” 

“I’m going to Canada for two weeks. I’ll be with my father.” The younger interjected. “I tried to only take three days off, but my commander wasn’t having it. He ordered three weeks leave and advised me to spend some time with friends or family. Well, most of my friends and family are here, where she was- I- I can’t stay here, Angela. It’s too raw.” Fareeha admitted, grief once again finding her features. “I completely understand, Fareeha.” Angela shook her head, gently taking the other woman’s hand in her own. “I think it’s for the best that you go visit with your father. If I remember correctly, Sam’s cabin is in a beautiful, tranquil place, is that still true?” Fareeha nodded the affirmation. “Yeah, and since he’s retired from being a mountie, we’ll have a lot of time for hikes and fishing, just like when I was a kid.” Fareeha’s expression lightened up and she seemed genuinely excited to be spending that time with her father, it was a relief to see. “Sounds wonderful! I’m a little jealous since I have to stay here.” Angela wrinkled her nose, summer was indeed beautiful in Switzerland, but there was always so much work to do. Fareeha laughed, shrugging. “You could take time off, Angela. But I know you won’t do that.” 

Hit the nail on the head with that one, Angela was notoriously bad at taking personal time. The last time she really allowed herself a day off was when she went to Paris with Amélie. Just the thought of her lost friend sent a jolt down Angela’s spine, but she shook it off. No need to worry Fareeha in their last moments together. After breakfast, Fareeha announced that she would be spending some time with Jesse before her flight, so she would be taking her leave. Before doing so, she hugged Angela tightly. “Thank you, Angela, for everything.” She whispered, giving the doctor a short kiss on the forehead before waving goodbye. Angela waved her off, a heaviness on her heart as she did so. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt as if it would be another long time before she saw Fareeha again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insert nervous laughter here-  
> Hi! I'm back with an update finally! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and to those who came for Ashe I apologize, this is the slowest burn ever and Ashe won't likely appear anytime soon. Fareeha's involvement is also quite temporary, as this is following the rough timeline to the fall of overwatch. I might switch focus to some other characters between overwatch's fall and subsequent return? I'll have to see about it since it might be a little weird to shift from Angela's perspective but I'd kind of like to explore some others. 
> 
> I feel as if lotus is a dead giveaway to who Fareeha's soulmate will be, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on it! Anyways, thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Will I ever stop having fic ideas? Probably not! I'm still working on everything else, but I've wanted to do something like this for a while and apparently I'm determined to fill the Ashe/Mercy tag myself if I have to.


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